not only allowing worshipping of images but also forbidding to pay tribute to the Emperour Leo. The Emperour on the other part irritated with the proud attempts of Gregorius the second vsed indirect meanes to cut him off but the enterprises of his deputies Marinus Paulus Eutychius and their followers succeeded vnprosperously Moreouer the Bishop of Rome sought support from the Lombardis who had beene at all times preceding enemies to the chaire of Rome yet in Leo his dayes they were bounde with the bishop of Rome in a couenant of friendship for none other cause but this onely to shake off the yoke of the Emperours obedience And when the bishop of Rome saw that the Emperour had great businesse in warres against the Saracens hee thought it a fit occasion to draw the dominion of Italie vnto his owne subjection and therefore with aduise of the Clergie hee both excommunicated the Emperour as a destroyer of the Images of the Saints and disauthorised him of his Emperiall soueraignty in Italy So earely began the increasing Grando of Antichrist to send forth the thunder-bolts of cursings against the anoynted of the Lord. In this Emperours dayes the Saracens passed over the Straits invaded the kingdom of Spaine slew Rodericus King of the Gothes and his sonne and put an end to the kingdome of the Gothes in Spaine after they had raigned 346. yeeres and being incited by Eudo Duke of Aquitania they marched towards France but through the valour of Carolus Martellus a man of noble birth in France they were so encountred that three hundred thousand and threescore and ten thousand Saracens were slaine and the countrey of France was made free of the feare of the Saracens Constantinus Copronymus AFter Leo his sonne Constantinus Copronymus raigned 35. yeeres Chytreus reckoneth onely 23. yeeres because hee hated the worshipping of Images which errour had taken deepe roote in this age The writers of the History of this time haue dipped their pens in gall and wormwood to blaspheme the honourable name of Constantinus but whatsoever Paulus Diaconus or Zonoras haue written to his disgrace his name will bee in honourable account and regard in the Church of Christ. The Senate and the people of Constantinople addicted to the worshipping of Images hated the Emperour and were glad of the false rumoured tidings of his death when he went to fight against the Arabians and they chose Artabasdus to be Emperour in his stead But Constantine returned to Constantinople besieged the towne and recovered his owne kingdome againe Hee gathered a generall Councell at Constantinople anno 755. wherein the worshipping of Images was damned as shall be declared God willing in its owne place In this Emperours dayes were warres betwixt the King of Lombardis and the Bishops of Rome but the Roman Bishops begged the helpe of Carolus Martellus against Luitprand and the helpe of Pipinus against Aistulphus and the helpe of Carolus Magnus against Desiderius all Kings of Lombardis and by continuall imploring the helpe of the Nobles and Kings of France the Lombards were vtterly subdued the chaire of Rome was enriched the revenue of the Emperour of the East was impaired and a ground was layd for the advancement of the Kings of France to the Imperiall dignity In this Emperours dayes the Turkes or Scythians invaded the Armenians and molested the Saracens and some countries of Asia minor in the end they accorded with the Saracens But this agreement could not bee perfected without condition That the Turkes in Persia should vndergoe the name of Saracens hoping thereby that they would easily embrace the Mahometan religion wherin their expectation was not frustrate In the yeere of our Lord 579. and in the 18. yeere of the raigne of Constantine a wonderfull thing fell out amongst wise men of Persia called Magi and Maurophori Pâ—â—sâ— they perswaded both themselues and others also That if a man would sell all that hee had and throw himselfe headlong from the walles of the Citie his soule should by and by be transported to heaven So prone and bent is the corrupt nature of man to leane vpon vaine hopes to beleeue promises which God hath not made Leo the sonne of Copronymus LEo the sonne of Constantinus Copronymus raigned fiue yeeres Hee followed the footsteps of his father in zeale against worshipping of Images and punished the Groomes of his owne chamber such as Iames Papias Stratâ—ius and Theophanes for worshipping of Images The superstitious writers of the History of this time such as Zonaras and Paâ—lus Diaconus reckon the aforesayd persons in the Catalogue of holy Confessors But Christ will neuer count them to be his Martyrs who fight obstinately against the truth even vnto the death neither will hee count them to be his Confessors who suffer iustly inflicted punishment for the contempt of the lawes of Magistrates being agreeable to the law of God Irene and Constantinus her sonne AFter the death of Leo raigned Irene his wife with her sonne Constantine ten yeeres Afterwards Constantine deposed his mother from her authority and raigned alone seven yeeres And Irene on the other part taking this indignity done vnto her grievously shee spoyled her sonne both of his eyes and of his Empire cast him into prison where he dyed for heart griefe and shee raigned againe 4. yeeres after her sonnes imprisonment So all the yeeres of the raigne of Irene and her son coniunctly severally first and last were 21â— yeeres This Empresse was superstitious crafty and infortunate Shee was a superstious defender of the worshipping of Images A malicious and venomous hater of the name of Constantinus Copronymus whose dead body shee commanded to be brought out of his graue to be burnt with fire resolved into ashes and to be cast into the Sea albeit Constantine was her owne father in law The mercies of the wicked are cruell Her craft appeared in bringing her forces to Constantinople in the sixt yeere of her raigne vnder pretence of fighting against the Arabians and in disarming of them whom shee knew to haue beene adversaries to the worshipping of Images and sending them in ships to the places from whence they came For before the dayes of Constantinus Copronymus the towne of Constantinople by famine and pestilence and being besieged three yeeres by the Saracens was miserably dispeopled so that thirty thousand of the people of Constantinople died But Copronymus for the repayring of that losse sent for strangers and replenished the towne with new Inhabitants These strangers she sent backe againe to the places from whence they came especially because in popular commotion they had set themselues in armes and menaced the Fathers convened in Constantinople by Irene and her sonne for allowance of adoration of Images Shee was infortunate because the Empire of the East was so extenuated in her time that it was rather like vnto a shadow then vnto an Empire So that in the subsequent History I will forget after a manner the Emperours
very first words of it proue it to be false forged Pontianus sanctâ— uniuersalâ—s Ecclesia Episcopus c. that is Pontianus B. of the holy vniuersal Church to al them who feare loue God wisheth welfare Such magnificke stiles as these were not as yet in vse when they crept into the Church afterward they were giuen by persons who admired the vertues of some singular and rare men such as Cyprian and Athanasius and Eusebius but no man did vsurpe such proud arrogant ti tles of dignitie in his owne writings directed to other Christians and therefore the learned reject this epistle as composed by some late vnlearned and flattering fellow After Pontianus succeeded Anterus the 18. B. of Rome to whom Eusebius assigned but one month of continuance in his ministrie Damasus assigneth to him 12. yeeres Platina 11. yeeres 1. month 12. dayes and this diuersitie of counting cannot be reconciled Next to Anterus succeeded Fabianus the 19. B. of Rome vpon whose head a doue lighted when the people were consulting concerning the election of a B. therefore with full consent of the whole coÌ„gregation he was declared to be their B. The people at this time were so farre from being secluded froÌ„ giuing their consent to the election of him who should be ordained their Pastour that the consent of the people had the sway in the election of Pastours Func Chron Commentar He suffered martyrdom vnder the raigne of Decius the 7. great persecuter after hee had continued in his office 14. yeeres 11. months 11. daies Many constitutions made by him are cited by Gratianus and inserted Tom 1. Concil One of them I cannot passe by We constitute that vpon euery Lords day the oblation of the altar shall be made by euery man woman both of bread wine to the end that by these oblations they may be deliuered froÌ„ the heapes of their sinnes First marke in this constitution that the bread and wine which the people brought with them vpon the Lords day for the ministration of the holy communion is called the oblation of the altar the table whereupon the bread and wine were laide was called the alter the bread and the wine are called the offering or the sacrifice because part of it was distributed in the holy communion to keepe a memoriall of the Lords death and the rest was giuen to the sustentation of the poore and in that respect also it was called a sacrifice as â—he scripture speaketh To do good to distribute forget not for with such sacrifices God is pleased The last part of the decreet is blasphemous and falsly attributed to Fabian because the sinnes of men and women who beleeue and repent are forgiuen onely for the merite of that bloodie sacrifice which the Lord Iesus offered vpon the Crosse for our sins But our furnishing of elements to the coÌ„munion sustentation of the poore cannot merite forgiuenes of sins The successour of Fabianus was Cornelius the 20. Bishop of Rome He had a great strife against Nouatus and his complices He assembled a Councell at Rome of 60. Bishops besides Elders and Deacons by whom the heresie of Nouatus was condemned and the Nouatians were separated from the fellowship of the Church Cornelius was baÌ„ished from Rome by the Emperour Decius and sent to a towne in Hetruria called Centum-cellae where hee had great comfort by the mutuall letters that passed betweene him and Cyprian Bishop of Carthage When the Emperour got knowledge of this he sent for Cornelius and accused him as a man who not onely despised the worshipping of the gods was disobedient to the Emperours commandement but also that he was a trafficker against the estate of the empire by receiuing and sending letters beyond sea Cornelius answered that he wrote matters pertaining to Christ the saluation of mens soules and not of matters belonging to the estate of the empire Notwithstanding the Emperour Decius commanded that hee should be scourged with plumbats this was a sort of grieuous whip and afterward that hee should be led to the Temple of Mars with commandement to put him to death if he refused to worship the image of Mars Thus was Cornelius beheaded for the name of Christ after hee had gouerned 2. yeeres 3. daies Or as Eusebius writeth 3. yeares Lucius the 21. Bishop of Rome was successour to Cornelius continued in the gouernement of the Church of Rome 3. yeeres 3. months 3. daies Platin. Euseb. 8. months lib. 7. cap. 2. One decretall epistle is assigned vnto him written vnto the Bishoppes of France and Spaine wherein hee braggeth that the Bishops of Rome cannot erre in matter of faith but the ineptitude of a barbarous Latine stile wherein the Epistle is dited declareth it hath beene written by an vnlearned Asse and not by Lucius Bishop of Rome Stephanus 22. Bishop of Rome ruled that Church 2 yeeres Platin. 7. yeeres 5. months 2. dayes He was greatly commoued against Cyprian B. of Carthage because that by his opinion of rebaptizing those who were baptized by Heretikes the vnitie of the Church of Christ was perturbed and rent Platina writeth that Cyprian before his martyrdome forsooke his opinion of rebaptizing and was content by imposition of hands according to the custome of the Romane Church to receiue such as had beene baptized by Heretikes The constitution concerning consecrated garments that men in spirituall offices should weare in the Church and no where else lest they incurre the like punishment with Baltasar who abused the holy vessels of the house of God in my opinion is not judiciously attributed by Platina vnto this B. Stephanus because the ordinance smelleth rather of Iudaisme then of Christian religion and the reason subioyned to the constitution is altogether impertinent It was sacriledge indeed and a proud contempt of God in the person of Baltasar to drinke common wine with his harlots in the vessels of gold dedicated to the holy seruice of God but an holy preacher to walke in the same apparell in the streete wherein he preached and ministred the communion in the Church this is no sinne nor a thing forbidden by any Apostolike precept But Platina is dreaming when he ascribeth such sriuolous constitutions to a Bishop preparing himselfe for death for Platina supposeth that he was martyred in the dayes of Galliexus Let the reader marke vpon what sandy ground of friuolous constitutions and falsely alledged Popish faith is grounded The decree of Stephanus concerning marriage bearing that the Priests Deacons Subdeacons of the Oriental Church were coupled in matrimonie but in the Roman Church no person in a spiritual office from the Bishop to the Subdeacon had libertie to marrie if it were true as it is assuredly false the Orientall Church hath a great commendation because they would not be wiser then God and they would not lay the yoke of the ordinances of men vpon the
relieued Rome from the siege of the Lombardes but also bestowed vppon the chaire of Rome the dominions of Rauenna and Penta-polis appertaining to the Emperour of the East and which they enjoyed since the death of Narses 170. yeeres In so doing there was such bargaining betwixt the kinges of France and the Popes as was of olde betwixt Herod and the Iewes he gratified them with the blood of Christes Apostles and they gratified him on the other part by giuing to him the glory of God Euen so Zacharias bishop of Rome bestowed vpon Pipinus the kingdome of France which duly appertained to another and Pipinus againe bestowed vpon the chaire of Rome the dominion of Rauenna Pentapolis which duely appertained to the Emp. of the East It shall not be amisse to make a particular rehearsall of the townes territories bestowed vpon the church of Rome by the donatioÌ„ of Pipinus but not of Constantine as they haue rumored most fabulously many yeares agoe In primis Rauenna Bononia Imola Fauentia Commaclum Hadria Pompilii Forum Leuii Forum Cesena Bobium Ferraria Ficoclas and Gabellum all these townes were vnder the dominion of Rauenna And in Pentapolis Ariminum Pisaurum Concha Fanum Senogallia Ancona Auximum Hummanam Aesium Sempronij Forum Mons Feretri Vrbium Balmense territorium Callas Luceolos Engubium together with the Castles and lands appertaining to these townes to wit the Prouinces called in our time Romandiola Marca Anconitana and of olde Aemilia Flaminea PicenuÌ„ Thus we see what a rich reward the chaire of Rome obtained for their defection froÌ„ the Emp. of the East and their fauour towards the kings of France Also for further confirmatioÌ„ of friendship betwixt the bishops of Rome and the kings of France Pope Stephanus the 2. procured that he should be inuited to be witnes at the baptisme of the king of Fraunce his yong son at which time as a man couetous of vaine glorie he suffered Pipinus Charles his son to kisse his feet to hold his stirrope to lead his horse by the brible and finally he was content to be mounted vp and carried vpon the shoulders of men leauing behind him an example of stinking pride to the posterity after following After Stephanus the secoÌ„d succeeded his brother Paulus the first who continued 10. yeeres and one month In antichristian pride he was nothing inferiour to his predecessours for he sent Ambassadours to the Emperour of the East Constantinus Copronymus to exhort him to restore againe the images of the Saints which hee had demolished with intermination of cursing if hee refused to bee obedient to the popes counsell In his time Aâ—stulphus King of Lombardes dyed and Desidâ—rius the last King of Lombards raigned in his stead Constantine the brother of Desiderius King of Lombardis succeeded to Paulus the first a man admitted to the Popedome before he received Ecclesiasticall orders therefore hee was hated of the people of Rome and denuded of his Papall dignity after hee had continued one yeere and one moneth Some writers affirme that his eyes were thrust out and that hee was sent to a Monasterie others affirme that hee was burnt with fire by the hatefull malice of the Romanes To him succeeded Stephanus the third who ruled foure yeeres fiue moneths and twenty seven dayes Hee gathered a Councell at Rome in the which twelue Bishops of France sent thither by Charles de Maine were present with the Bishoppes of Italy who disauthorized Constantine his predecessor and annulled all his decrees Likewise they damned the seventh generall Councell convened in Constantinople by Constantinus Copronymus wherein the worshipping of Images was disallowed But in this Laterane Councel assembled by Stephanus the third the worshipping of Images got allowance And it was thought that God and the Saints were in worser case then mortall Princes in case that Images might be made to represent mortall Princes but not to represent God and his Saints It was rumored in this Popes time that Charles King of France was of intention to marrie Bertha the daughter of Desiderius King of Lombards Stephanus fearing left this marriage should vndoe the friendship lately tracted betwixt the Bishops of Rome and the King of France disswaded Charles from the marriage aforesayd as if the marriage of a woman of the kindred of the Lombards were a mixing of darkenesse with light and of Belial with Christ. And the menacing letter of Stephanus the third prevailed so farre at the hands of Charles the Great that he repudiated Bertha the daughter of Desiderius his lawfull maried wife after he had cohabited with her one yeere and hee married another woman named Hildegarde of the Dukerie of Sweue These are the fruits of Antichristian pride to threaten the torments of hell against the Princes of the world for marriage if so be they fore-see any damage may redound to the chaire of Rome by the marriage of Princes After Stephanus the third succeeded Adrian the first and governed twenty three yeares ten moneths and seventeene dayes In his dayes Charles the Great came into Italy with an army and Desiderius King of Lombards his wife and children to Lions in France and vtterly subdued the kingdome of the Lombards which had continued in Italy 204. yeeres Now in the yeere of our Lord 776. this kingdome was abolished and vndone by Charles the Great king of France for the fauour he carried towardes the chaire of Rome Likewise hee augmented the donation of his father Pipinus and he bestowed vpon the Church of Rome the Isle of Corsica and the places lying betwixt Luca and Parma with the Dukedomes Spoleto and Benevento This being done Charles returned back againe to France carying with him Bertha his brothers wife and her children who came to Adrian Bishop of Rome hoping for favour at his hands and that he should haue anoynted her sonnes to bee Kings of France seeing Carolamannus their father was now dead but he delivered them into the hands of Charles and so Charles the Great raigned without exception as absolute Commander of France Irene the Empresse of the East during his Popedome assembled a great Councell at Nice in Bythinia where the adoration of Images was allowed In this Councell the Popes Ambassadors were present and his owne letter was read in the Councell no man gaue greater allowance to the worshipping of Images then Pope Adrian did as shall be declared God willing in the head of Councels It is to be marked that Platina writing of the death of Constantinus Copronymus is compelled to beare witnesse to the truth and testifie that the opinion of the leprosie of Constantine the Great was a notable fable and that it sprung vp by occasion of the disease of Constantinus Copronymus the father in law of the Empresse Irene To Adrian succeeded Leo the third and governed one and twenty yeeres He was hated by Pascalis and Campalus who lay in wait for him at the Church
maketh little contradiction to that setled and receiued opinion of the feminine Pope But I leaue Onuphrius sporting with his owne conceits as a Pleasant doth with his owne fingers when no other body will keepe purpose with him Euaristus finished the course of his ministration in eight yeeres Alexander who is in expresse words called the fift B. of Rome after the death of Peter and Paul gouerned ten yeeres and suffered martyrdome in the dayes of Adrian as Platina writeth After him Xistus 1. continued ten yeeres and died a martyr Platin. Telesphorus the 7. Bishop of Rome after the dayes of the Apostles liued in that ministration eleuen yeeres and was honoured with martyrdome Hyginus An. 4. And Pius the 1. ministred 11. yeeres These two suffered not martyrdome because their lot was to liue in the calme dayes of a meeke Emperour Antoninus Pius Anicetus ministred in that office 11. yeeres with whom Polycarpus B. of Smyrna conferred at Rome concerning the obseruation of the festiuitie of Easter day He concluded his life with the glorious crowne of Martyrdome To him succeeded Soter An. 9. After him Eleutherius An. 15. In whose time Lucius King of the Britons desired that he and his people should be baptized and receiued into the fellowship of Christians to whom Eleutherius sent Fugatius and Damianus who satisfied the desire of the King and his people so they were baptized and counted Christians After him Victor An. 10. He intended to haue excommunicated all the Churches of the East because they kept not the festiuitie of Easter day conforme to the custâ—me of the Church of Rome but rather vpon the day wherein the Iewes were accustomed to eat their Paschall Lambe But this rashnesse of Victor was somewhat abated by the graue and prudent counsell of Ireneus B. of Lyons who admonished Victor that there was no lesse discrepance of customes concerning keeping of Lent then was concerning the keeping of Easter day yet was not the vnitie of the Church violated nor rent asunder for this discrepance And when Polycarpus B. of Smyrna came to Rome in his conference with Anicetus neither of them could perswade the other to change the custome of keeping of dayes which they had receiued by tradition of their predecessours Notwithstanding they kept fast the bond of Christian fellowship and Anicetus admitted Polycarpus to the communion of the Romane Church and they departed in peace one from another Quadratus B. of Athens liued in the dayes of Adrian This Emperour vpon a certaine time wintered in Athens and went to Eleusina and was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say initiate into all the mysteries of Grecia This fact of the Emperour gaue encouragement to those who hated Christians without allowance of the Emperours commandement to vexe the Christians Concerning his apologie for Christians giuen into the Emperour together with the apologie of Aristides a learned Philosopher and eloquent Orator in Athens wee haue spoken already in the description of the life of Adrian Agrippas Castor a very learned man answered to the books of the Heretique Basilides who with the noueltie of barbarous and vncouth words troubled the hearts of rude and ignorant people talking of a god whom he called Arbraxas and of his Prophets Barcab and Barcob words inuented by himselfe to terrifie simple people Such delusions of Satan Quintinists in our dayes an ignorant race of braine sicke fellowes haue vsed And so the blind led the blind and both fell into the ditch In this age Hegesippus of the nation of the Iewes was converted vnto the faith of Christ and came to Rome in the dayes of Anicetus and continued vntill the dayes of Eleutherius But for what cause he came to Rome or in what part of the world he bestowed the trauels of his ministrie no mention is made neither by Eusebius nor by any other ancient Writer no not by Ierome himselfe a most accurate explorator of all antiquities Melito B. of Sardis a famous towne in Lydia wrote an apologie for the Christians to the Emperour Antoninus Philosophus whom Eusebius calleth Marcus Aurelius Verus His apologie was written with Christian freedome and courage for he was not afraid to declare to the Emperour what good successe Augustus Caesar had in whose dayes Christ was borne and what vnprosperous successe Nero and Domitian had who persecuted the Christians Eusebius calleth him an Eunuch In the fourth persecution died Iustinus Martyr accused and delated by Crescens He was converted to Christs Religion by the trauels of an old man whom he supposed for his grauitie to haue beene a Philosopher but he was a Christian This ancient man counselled Iustinus to be a diligent reader of the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles who spake by diuine inspiration who knew the veritie and were not couetous of vaine glory neither were they dashed with feare whose doctrine also was confirmed with miraculous workes which God wrought by their hands Aboue all things willed him to make earnest prayers to God to open vnto him the ports of true light because the truth cannot be comprehended except the Father of light and his sonne Christ Iesus giue vnto vs an vnderstanding heart He wrote two bookes of apologie for Christians to the Emperour Antoninus Pius and to his sonnes and the Senate of Rome In the second booke of his apologie he declareth that Christians were put to death not for any crime they had committed but onely for their profession In witnesse whereof if any of them would denie his Christian profession straight way he was absolued because there was no other thing wherewith he was charged In this same persecution also suffered the holy martyr of Christ Polycaryus B. of Smyrna He was willing to haue remained in the towne of Smyrna but by the earnest supplications of friends was mooued to leaue the towne and lurke secretly in the countrie Three dayes before hee was apprehended by his persecuters he dreamed that his bed was set on fire and hastily consumed which he tooke for a diuine aduertisement that he behooued to glorifie God by suffering the torment of fire His conference with the Romane Deputie and how he refused to deny Christ whom he had serued fourescore yeeres and euer found him a gratious Master also how he refused to sweare by the fortune of Caesar and how patiently he suffered death for the name of Christ this history is set downe at large by Eusebius Ireneus B. of Lyons in France and successour to Photinus a martyr and Disciple of Polycarâ—us in his youth flourished in the dayes of the Emperour Commodus whose meeke conuersation and peaceable carriage answered to his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is peaceable made his name to be in great account amongst Christians How he pacified the furie of Victor B. of Rome and the pernicious schisme springing vp in the Church of God vpon very small
of the Iewes but the honourable name of a King he received from Augustus Caesar this was ratified for his further assurance by the Senate of Rome for which cause Herod to testifie his thankefull minde towards Antonius builded a Castle in Ierusalem very neere to the Temple called Arx Antonia And to the honour of Augustus he builded Caesarea Palestinae sometime called the tower of Straton Now a forreiner and stranger of his fathers side an Idumean of his mothers side an Arabian and an aliant both from the stock of David and also from the Common-wealth of Israell was raigning in Iudea and the Sceper was sliding from Iuda now I say was it time that Shiloch should come according to Iacobs prophecie to whom the people should be gathered Now was it time that the promised Mâ—ssias should come sit in the Throne of his father David and of his Kingdome there should be none end And indeed how can the Kingdome of Christ haue an end who acquireth a new title and right of gouernment by death which is the last period of other Kings governments and in death they leaue a vacant roome to a successour but Christ Iesus by dying and rising againe hath a right to rule both over dead and quicke Yea in the very death it selfe hee was practising his kingly office in most effectuall manner and and trampling Satan vnder feet and vndoing the power of death In Augustus time also Ioseph was admonished in a dreame to take the babe and his mother and to flee into Egypt Sozomen not content with the certainty of Scripture addeth a particular nomination of the towne Hermopolis in Thebaida whereinto Christ soiourned vntill the death of Herod the great This hee had by the vncertainty of tradition The miracle of the huge and high tree Prestis that bowed the toppe lowly to the ground and worshipped her Maker Christ and afterward had a medicinable vertue in fruit leafe and barke to cure diseases rather derogareth credit to that Egyptian tradition then assureth vs of the verity of that report Herod before his departure from this life had put to death three of his sonnes Aristobulus Alexander and Antipater and by testamentall legacy had divided his dominions amongst his remanent sonnes Archelaus Herod Antipas and Philip which testament being ratified by Augustus Iudea Samaria and Idumea were alloted to Archelaus the Tetrarchie of Galilee to Antipas and Iturea and Trachonitis to Philip. Ioseph being returned from Egypt when he heard that Archelaus did reigne in Iudea in stead of his father Herod feared to dwell in Iudea but beeing warned of God in a dreame went to the parts of Galilee and dwelt in a Citty called Nazaret All this was done in the dayes of Augustus After hee had reigned 56. yeares or as Iosephus writeth 57. yeares viz. with Antonius 14. yeares and after hee overcame Antonius and Cleôpatra Queene of Egypt in sea-warfare over against Epirus hee had the Imperiall soveraignty himselfe alone all his dayes and died in the 77. yeare of his age Tiberius AFter Augustus raigned Tiberius Nero 22. yeares seven moneths seuen dayes The Romane Deputies that were sent to Iudea in the time of his raigne were Valerius Gratus Pontius Pilat and Vitellius Valerius Gratus for loue of gaine remooued the Priests of the Iewes from their offices at his owne pleasure Ananus Ismael Eleazarus Simon the sonne of Camithus all these were denuded of their priestly dignity when as two of them viz. Eleazarus and Simon had continued scarce one yeare in office In end Iosâ—phus Caiphas is advanced to the Priesthood This is the cause wherefore the Evangelist Iohn calleth Caiphas the high Priest of that same yeare Matters of religion were now come to an horrible abuse and were not ordered according to Gods holy ordinance but according to the appetite of the Roman Deput ies After Gratus Pontius Pilate was sent to be Deputy in Iudea a man vigilant and actiue in all civill affaires as the blood of the Galileans mixed with their sacrifices clearely proueth but in the cause of Christ remisse negligent and slacke After the issue of ten yeares Vitellius is appointed Deputie in Iudea and Pontius Pilate addresseth toward Rome By gratifying of the Iewes of a matter of small importance he obtained great fauour The priestly garments were wont to bee kept in the Castle called Antonia but Vitellius gaue commandement to the Captaine of the Castle to let the high Priest haue the vse of them when hee pleased and to chuse what place he liked best for the custodie of the priestly garments Hee disauthorized Caiphas following as appeareth the example of Valerius Gratus and gaue his office to Ionathan the sonne of Ananus sometime high Priest In the 15. yeare of the raigne of Tiberius Christ our Lord and Saviour was baptized by Iohn in Iordan was led to the wildernesse fasted forty dayes was tempted of the divell and began to preach In the 18. yeare of Tiberius the Lord was crucified and offered a sacrifice for our sinnes which hath a perpetuall vertue to saue such as beleeue Hee arose againe the third day from death The high Priests and Rulers of the people gaue money to the souldiers to obscure the glory of his resurrection yet it was sufficiently knowne not onely to Christs Disciples by his frequent apparitions to them but also to Pontius Pilate the Romane Deputy himselfe who had given out a sentence of death against Christ. Pilate by letters signified to Tiberius the miracles of Christ his resurrection and that hee was supposed of many to be God But the Senate of Rome refused to acknowledge the divinity of Christ because hee was worshipped as God before his Godhead was approved by the Senate of Rome The words of the Apostle Paul had performance in the Romane Senate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they became vaine in their imaginations and their foolish heart was full of darknes when they professed themselues to be wise they became fooles The very smoke that riseth from the furnace seemeth to be somewhat at the first but when it mounteth vp into the aire the higher it ascendeth the more it scatereth and the sudden dispartion of it declareth it is but a vaine thing Such was the wisedome of the Romane Senate when they mounted vp so high as to iudge of diuine things farre surpassing the reach of the naturall vnderstanding of man they prooued starke fooles and people destitute of true vnderstanding and Pilate himselfe ouerladen with many heauy calamities in the dayes of Caius put hands into himselfe and so ended his wretched life Euseb. lib. 2. cap. 7. Caius Caligula CAius Caligula successour to Tiberius raigned three years and nine months Hee was a proud Tyrant enemy to all righteousnesse the very childe of the diuell I insist only vpon Church matters Hee was an hatefull enemy to the Iewes dwelling at Ierusalem and at Alexandria For
one and the selfe-same cause were they both despised and hated of Caius because they would not giue vnto him diuine honors by building Temples and Altars and offering sacrifice to new Iupiter Caius and swearing by his name First concerning Ierusalem hee had sent Petronius to be Deputy in Iudea with commandement to dedicate the Temple of Ierusalem to Iupiter Caius and to set vp his image in the Temple The Iewes were more willing to die then to see the Temple of their God polluted Petronius advertised the Emperour of the grievance of the Iewes but before his letters came into the hands of Caius somewhat interveened that both disappointed the purpose of Caius and also incensed his heart with fury and rage against his Deputy Petrâ—nius At what time Herod Agrippa was at Rome whom afterward the Angell of God smote at Caesarea so that hee was consumed with wormes hee was exceedingly beloved of Caius because in the dayes of Tiberius hee had beene cast in prison and bound with bands for the loue hee carryed to Caius in so farre that Caius invited Agrippa vpon a certaine time to a banquet and bade him aske what hee pleased and it should be granted Agrippaes petition was this that Caius would suffer the Nation of the Iewes to liue according to their owne lavve Caius was moued somewhat with this vnexpected petition yet partly for his excessiue loue toward Agrippa also left hee should seeme to them which fate at table to be a promise-breaker the petition is granted But the venome of his indignation against the Iewes hee poured out against Petronius because that by lingring in executing his commandement occasion was offered to Agrippa to present this foresayd petition The letter of Caius sent to his Deputy was cruell and bloody the like whereof was seldom heard because hee fulfilled not the Emperours desire he is commanded to giue out sentence of death against his owne life and to be both iudge and burrio to himselfe Such mercy was in this new Iupiter Caius Before I write any thing of his cruelty against the Iewes that dwelt in Alexandria it is a meet place to admonish the Reader of the hypocrisie and counterfait holinesse of Herod Agrippa who seemed both in the dayes of Caius and also in the dayes of the Emperour Claudius to bee a patterne of godlinesse preferring at the banquet of Caius the liberty of the people of God and the inviolable observation of the Law of God to all the riches that the liberality of an affectioned Emperour could be able to afford In Claudius dayes hee sayled from Italy to Iudea hee acknowledged God to be the author of his deliverance from prison and bands and offered a chaine of gold to bee hung vp in the Temple of Ierusalem in testimony that hee receiued that benefit with a thankfull mind out of the Lords hands In outward things hee was a builder of the wals of Ierusalem vntill the emulous envie of Marsus or envious emulation the hinderer of all good workes compelled him to desist and to leaue the worke imperfited For all this outward shew of holinesse the lessons of Caius whom he loued beyond all things never left him till his last breath Caius desired to be counted a god so did Agrippa in Caesarea delight when his Oration was called the voyce of God and not of man Caius persecuted the Iewes without a cause so did Herod Agrippa the Christians Caius the higher hee advanced himselfe the greater was his fall the like also happened to Agrippa So pernitious a thing is vngodly company burning their associats with their fire or else blacking them with their smoke and hurtfull every manner of way In the towne of Alexandria the Grecians contended against the Iewes both parties sent Ambassadors to Rome the Grecians sent Appion the Iewes sent Philo a very prudent and learned man Appion with flattering words insinuated himself in the fauour of the Emperor Caius accused the Iewes that they neither builded temples nor offered sacrifice to the honor of Caius as the Grecians did Philo was ready to answer but Caius ruled with affection rather then with reason caused Philo to be thrust out of his palace and would not hearken vnto him In these two mirrors we may see the cruell disposition of this Emperor whose dependers were persecuters of Christians like as he himself was a persecuter of the Iewes If any good turne fell into his hand it was rather by accident then of purpose to glorifie God or to punish sin he banished Herod Antipas who beheaded Iohn the Baptist his wife Herodias that incestuous harlot who ended their liues in penury and misery in Lyons of France But all this was done for the fauor of Agrippa but not for detestation of murther incest In end Caius was slaine by his owne servants Chereas Lupus whom the Emperour Claudius afterward punished vnto death This new Iupiter I count him to haue been in worse case then old Iupiter the son of Saturne albeit both of them died yet the one after his death was counted a god but the other after his death was counted a diuell Claudius CLaudius raigned thirteene yeares eight months Hee ratified the gift of the kingdome of Iudea bestowed by his predecessor Caius vpon Herod Agrippa and added thereto all the dominions of Herod Antipas whom Caius had banished This Herod Agrippa when hee returned from Italy to Iudea builded the walles of Ierusalem sparing for no cost so high and strong that if the worke had not been hindered by the procurement of Marsus Governour of Syria he had made them impregnable Hee was not so carefull to build the walles of the spirituall Ierusalem for hee beheaded the holy Apostle S. Iames the brother of Iohn and did cast Peter into prison whom the Lord miraculously deliuered This Herod and the Iewes made hauocke of the glory of God and blood of his Saints For he gratified them by shedding the blood of the Apostles of Christ and againe they gratified him by giuing him the glorie that appertained to God alone For which cause he was stricken by the Angel of God consumed with wormes In this Emperour Claudius dayes the famine foretolde by the Prophet Agabus afflicted the world One of the causes of this plague doubtlesse was the manifold abuses of the creatures of God in the middes of the aboundance of bread the contempt of the poore which faultes were so vniuersally ouerspread in the world that some of the Emperours themselues were not free of the foule spot of intemperancie as the scoffing speeches of the people did witnesse in stead of Claudius Tiberius Nero calling the Emperour Caldius Biberius Mero This is referred to the successour of Augustus In the yeere of our Lord 48. and in the sixt yeere of the reigne of Claudius as Chytraeus reckoneth was gathered that famous Councill of Ierusalem described
viuely by the Euangelist Luke whereat were present the Apostles Peter and Paul and Iames and Barnabas a reuerent man of God in whom Apostolike giftes were not lacking with other worthie men Iudas surnamed Barsabas and Silas notable Prophets and fellow-labourers of the Apostles likewise the Commissioners of Antiochia and Elders of Ierusalem with many others who were beleeuers What was concluded in this Councell I remit to the faithfull narration of the Euangelist Luke Alwayes if votes be pondered rather then numbred this is the Councell of Councels more worthie to bee called O Ecomenicke then the Councels of Nice of Constantinople of Ephesus and Chalcedon In the Councell of Nice were worthy Bishops who came from all quarters of the world but in this Councill were holy Apostles who could not erre in matters of faith O Ecomenicke Bishops indeede and any one of the holy Apostles was illuminated with more aboundance of cleare light in things pertaining to the worship of God then al the 300 18. bishops coÌ„ueened at Nice in Bithynea Many Romaine Deputies were sent in the dayes of Claudius to keepe Syria and Iudea in subjection to the Romaines such as Marsus Longinus Cuspius Phadus Tiberius Alexander Cumanus and Felix I leaue Marsus and Longinus for desire to open vp in what Deputies time things mentioned in holy Scripture came to passe When Cuspius Phadus was deputie there arose a deceitfull man named Theudas to whom resorted a number of men aboue 400. who were slaine and all who followed him were scattered Iosephus writeth that Phadus sent forth a trope of horsemen who suddenly charged the people that followed Theudas and slew them and tooke Theudas aliue and cut off his head and brought it to Ierusalem After this man arose one Iudas of Galile in the dayes of the tribute and drew away much people after him he also perished and all that obeyed him were scattered If Gamaliel in that narration keepe the order of time as these words After him would import of necessitie the words of the history of the Actes must be vnderstood of another Theudas then that man of whom Iosephus writeth in the place aboue mentioned For Iudas of Galile liued in the dayes of Augustus and when Cyrenius was Deputie of Syria and Iudea But I am not certaine whether or no the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe absolutely import that Iudas of Galile was posterior in time to Theudas When Cumanus was Deputie who succeded to Tiberius Alexander the insolencie of one Romaine souldier was the destruction of twentie thousand innocent people he discouered the secret parts of his body vpon a solemne feast day neere vnto the Temple and in the sight of the Iewes they counted this a contempt done to God in the porch of his owne house Cumanus drew the Romane souldiers to the Castle called Antonia verie neere the temple and set them in order and the people of the Iewes fearing the inuasion of the souldiers sled and in the narrow passages ouertrode one another and a great multitude of people were slaine After this the people of the Iewes came to Caesarea where Cumanus was for the time and complained of a Romane souldier who had cast a booke of holy Scripture into the fire whom Cumanus beheaded and so pacified the Iewes In end Cumanus through his euill gouernement procured to himselfe the indignation of the Emperour Claudius he fauoured the wicked cause of the Samaritanes who had stopped the passages of the Galileans and slaine a great number of them They were accustomed yeerely to goe vp to Ierusalem to holy feaâ—tes and their way was through the townes and villages of the Samaritanes Cumanus rather fauoured then punished this wicked fact of the Samaritanes therefore he was remoued from his place and Felix was sent to be Deputie of Iudea Whether Claudius was impoisoned by Agrippina his wife to prepare an easie passage to Nero her sonne to be Emperour or not I leaue that to be read in authors who haue entreated the liues of Emperours politikly It contenteth me to write of the estate of the Church in their time Nero. DOmitius Nero succeeded to Claudius he reigned thirteene yeeres and eight months His mother Agrippina after the death of Cneus Domitius Aenobarbus was joyned in mariage with the Emperour Claudius In the first fiue yeeres of his gouernement he abandoned the insolencie of his wicked disposition so that it was a prouerbe in the mouthes of men Neronis quinquennium in regard of his good cariage for the space of fiue yeeres But a fire long couered in end breaketh out into a mightie flame that no water can slake it His cruelitie against his mother his wife 's Octaâ—ia and Poppea his master Seneca the Poet Lucan and the vile abuse of his body with persons of his neerest consanguinitie I remit to the reading of learned authors who haue written exactly the historie of the Romane Emperours and I hast to that which is the principall purpose of this compend how wicked Nero kindled the first great Fornace of horrible persecution against the Christians It cannot be denyed but in the dayes of Tiberius our Lord Christ Iesus was crucified in the dayes of Caligula and Claudius the hands of that cruell persecuter Herod was mightily strengthened by the fauour countenance and bountifulnesse of both these Emperours so that he layd hands vpon the pillars of the house of God and so I deny not but the Church of God before the dayes of Nero was in the fornace of trouble but now ' come the dayes whereinto the Roman Emperours like vnto Nebuchadnezar were full of rage and the forme of their visage was changed against the Christians they commanded that the fornace should be hoate seuen times more then it was wont to be This historie henceforth conteineth on the one part the great wrestling of persecuting Emperours against God not like to the wrestling of Iacob with God The place of Iacobs wrestling was Penâ—el where he saw God the forme of wrestling was with many teares and strong supplications the end was that the Angel should not hastly depart from him leauing him comfortlesse the successe was the obtaining of a blessing which was the armour of God to saue him against the hatefull malice of Esau but by the contrary Nero Domitian Traian Antonius and the rest set their faces against the heauen commanded the holy One of Israel to depart out of the world endeuoured to quench the sauing light of his Gospell and by so doing brought downe vpon themselues in stead of a blessing that wrath that is reueiled from heauen vpon all them who detaine the truth of God into vnrighteousnes On the other part is set downe the constant faith and patient suffering of the Saints who hated not the burning bush because it was set on fire but they loued it because in it they were refreshed with the comfortable presence of the great Angel
of God who would not for gaining of their liues once fashion themselues according to the similitude of Idolaters in outward and externall things Tertulian in his booke de corona militis declareth that true Christian souldiers abhorred from setting a garland of flowers vpon their heads when they received wages for their painfull seruice in warfare because it was the habit of Idolaters who sacrificed to Iupiter O happy men of God whose vertues the dead colours of Painters cannot represent and the festered manners of this corrupt age cannot imitate When shall the fresh oyle of the grace of God bee powred into our lampes that the light of our faith patience and constant perseverance may shine clearely to the world as theirs did The occasion of this great persecution of Nero was his owne barbarous and cruell fact hee caused the towne of Rome to be set on fire which wasted the buildings of the towne for the space of sixe dayes and to eschew the vile infamy of this barbarous fact hee layde the blaine vpon the Christians and gaue forth edicts and commandements to to persecute them to the death Nero was so hatefull an aduersary to all righteousnesse that Eusebius following the example and words of Tertullian affirmeth that if the Gospell had not beene an excellent good thing it had not been condemned by Nero. It is supposed that Peter was crucified and Paul was beheaded at Rome in the time of this persecution If this be true the very dead bones of Peter and Paul are witnesses against the Romane Church if they continue not in the same faith that Peter and Paul sealed vp with their blood The estate of the Iewes vnder Nero was very hard in respect of the oft change of the Romane Deputies For in Neroes time continued Felix for a space whom the Emperour Claudius had sent to Iudea and after him Festus Albinus and Florus This last Deputy was fashioned according to the similitude of the manners of Nero his Master and the Proverb holdeth true in Nero and Florns Such man such master In the time that Felix was Deputy a certaine Egyptian man pretending to be a Prophet and promising great things perswaded foure thousand of the Iewes to follow after him but Felix sent forth companies of horsemen and footmen who slew foure hundreth of the people that followed the Egyptian and tooke two hundreth of them aliue the rest were scattered but the seducing Prophet escaped and could not be found When Festus was Deputy King Agrippa heard the Apology of Paul and sayd that in a part Paul perswaded him to be a Christian. This Agrippa I say the sonne of Herod whom the Angell of God slewe was advanced to great honours by the Emperour Claudius as his father had beene before him by the fauour of Caius and he possessed not onely his fathers dominions but also the Tetrarchy of Iturea and Trachonitis sometime belonging to Philip the sonne of Herod the great His might and riches procured trouble to the Nation of the Iewes He had a palace situate vpon the West-side of the Temple of Ierusalem and in regard it was builded vpon a mountaine he had a delectable prospect of the towne of Ierusalem yet not content with this hee mounted vp the walles of the Palace by a new building so high that they who were in the Palace might haue seene the Altar and sacrifices of the Iewes offered in the inner court which at that time was called Atrium Iudaorum This doing grieved the hearts of the Iewes They on the other part to cut off the sight of those who dwelt in the Palace from beholding their sacrifices raysed vp the wall of the inner court on the West-side to such eminency that no man could behold the sacrifices of the Iewes from the Palace King Agrippa and Festus with authority commanded the Iewes to demolish their new builded wall In end this matter was referred to the Emperour Nero who being solicited by his wife Poppea gratified the Iewes in this poynt and compelled them not to cast downe their wall Festus died in Iudea and Albinus was sent to be Deputie in Iudea Ananus was the high Priest of the Iewes in those dayes and finding opportunity of time to practice the malice of his heart against Iames the sonne of Alpheus furnanamed Iustus an holy Apostle and kinsman of our Lord Iesus When Albinus was vpon his iourney and had not as yet arriued neither to the coasts of Egypt nor of Iudea this Ananus I say caused Iames furnamed Iustus and the brother of our Lord to bee stoned to death Eusebius writeth that he was throwne down from the pinacle of the Temple This cruelty of Ananus albeit it displeased both King Agrippa and Albinus the Deputy of the Romans and the people of Ierusalem yet wicked men are wiser in their owne generation then the children of light and Ananus sawe that if hee had lingred vntill the Romane Deputy had arriued hee could not haue procured the death of a man counted so inst and so welbeloved of the people as the Apostle Iames was It is to be marked that Eusebius in the forementioned place describeth the Martyrdome of Iames furnamed Iustus before the edict of the persecution of Nero after which folloshed the martyrdome of Peter and Paul in the 12. yeere of Nero his raigne neuerthelesse the Romane Church had forged Epistles decretall whereinto Clemens Bishop of Rome writeth to Iames furnamed Iustus after the death of Peter What credit these decretall Epistles deserue it shall be declared hereafter God willing But Florus who succeded to Albinus was an avaritious and cruell man hee exhausted the treasure that was in the Temple and tooke out of it sixteene talents of siluer And when the Iewes at Ierusalem murmured against him hee came to the towne in great wrath and permitted the souldiers to slay and to spoyle the Citizens of Ierusalem at their pleasure Likewise he afflicted with vnaccustomed cruelty men of noble birth by scourging and crucifying them This was the ground of the warre betweene the Romanes and the Iewes wherein Ierusalem came to that lamentable ruine foretold by our Saviour Christ. Now to returne to the Emperour himselfe and forme of his death After he had raigned 13. yeares and eight moneths the Senate of Rome proclaimed him to bee an enemy to mankind and condemned him to be whipped with wands to the death and to be harled through the City For feare of which punishment he was forced to flie and by slaying of himselfe made an end of his most wretched life Iustin. Vespatian AFter Nero Otto Vitellius and Galba contended for the Empire and were all hastily cut off and made out of the way and Flavianus Vespatian was chosen Emperour by the Roman Arny he reigned ten yeares The Nation of the Iewes at this time for the most part was given ouer into a reprobate minde according as it was
foretold by the Prophet Zacharie Then sayd I I will not feed you that that dieth let it die and that that perisheth let it perish and let the remnant every one eate the flesh of his neighbour Like as the intollerable cruelty of Flerus had irritat the Nation of the Iewes even so on the other side the vnsupportable obstinacy of the Iewes had incensed the wrath of the Romanes against them They were now become so head-strong that they reiected the sacrifice that was wont to be offered for Caesar. The calamity of the Iewes who dwelt in Alexandria and in Damascus was but the beginning of sorrowes fifty thousand Iewes were slaine in Alexandria ten thousand in Damascus Besides this many signes and wonders both in heauen and earth did proclaime their future desolation and destruction A Comet was seene in heauen hanging ouer the towne of Ierusalem for the space of a yeare and having the similitude of a sword in the Temple at the mid time of the night a cleare light was seene shining round about the Altar in brightnes not vnlike vnto the light of the day and the great brasen port of the Temple opened of it owne accord about the sixt houre of the night chariots of fire were seene compassing townes and a voyce was heard in the Sanctuary warning to flit and to transport with many other fearfull signes and wonders But a people senslesse whose eyes were dimme whose eares were dull of hearing whose heart was fatte and locked vp by Satan in infidelity they could take no warning of the wrath to come because the Lord was minded to destroy them Flavius Vespatian and his sonne Titus Vespatian leading an army of threescore thousand armed men from Ptolemaida besieged the townes of Galilee and Trachonitis so many as would not willingly bee subiect to the Romanes the townes of Gadara Tiberias Iotopata Tarithea Gamala all these were brought vnder the reverence of Vespatian and Iosephus who had beene lurking in a caue after the towne of Iotopata was conquered was taken aliue and kept in bands by the Romans hee foretold that Vespatian should be Emperour and saluted him Caesar and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 while Nero was yet aliue When this prophecie came to passe indeed and hee was chosen to bee Emperour hee sent for Iosephus and commanded that he should be loosed from bands but Titus his sonne thought more expedient that his bands should bee cut off from him rather then loosed to the end he might be counted a worthy man who never deserved captivity nor bands Flavius Vespatian returned to Rome and left behinde him his sonne Titus to subdue the Iewes and to besiege the towne of Ierusalem but the Christians who dwelt at Ierusalem were warned by God to depart out of the towne of Ierusalem so they left it and dwelt beyond Iordan in a towne of Decapolis called Pela Separation of the corne from the chaffe goeth before the vnquenchable fire wherewith the chaffe shall bee burnt Titus beganne to besiege Ierusalem in the first yeare of the reigne of his father at the time when the people were gathered to celebrate the feast of the Passeouer The terror of the sword of the Romanes without the feare of mercilesse brigands within the bowels of the towne prevailing the shewer of the dead wanting the honour of buriall infecting the aire and devouring the living with contagious sicknesse the violent plague of famine breaking assunder the bands of nature and constraining women to eate the birth of their owne bellies All these calamities seased vpon them at once in the iust iudgement of God They despised the Father of eternity and the Prince of peace and sayd to Pilate Wee haue no King but Caesar. Now they finde that the mercies of Caesar were cruell and his sonne Titus who was commended in all mens mouthes as meeke mercifull liberall and eloquent and was called Amor delitiae humani generis that is The loue and most dainty thing of all mankinde yet God made him a terrible scourge to the Nation of the Iewes who forsooke the Lord Iesus and preferred Caesar vnto him In Scripture wee reade of many great viols of the wrath of God powred downe vpon vnrighteous men but these are greatest that resemble by most liuely representation the great condemnation of the wicked at the last day such as the flood of Noe the ouerthrow of Sodome and destruction of Ierusalem The flood of Noe was vniuersall and sudden so shall be the condemnation of vngodly men at the last day The overthrow of Sodome and Gomorrha was a destruction vnsupportable and the more meet to bee an example of the vengeance of eternall fire The destruction of Ierusalem and the forerunning tokens thereof are so mixed with the tokens preceeding the condemnation of the great day that it may bee clearely perceiued that God hath appointed the one to be a type and figure of the other So oft as we call to remembrance the flood of Noe the overthrow of Sodom and the destruction of Ierusalem let vs feare stand in awe to fall into the condemnation of vngodly men because all the terrors of these iudgements concurre and are massed together in the iudgement of the last day What are the deepe wells of water what are the shoures of fire and brimstone what is famine pest and sword both intestine and forraine in comparison of that worme that never dieth and that fire that shall never be quenched and the blacknesse of darknes with weeping and gnashing of teeth c It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God Concerning the number of them that were slaine in Galilee Trachonitis Samaria and Iudea chiefly in the Metropolitane towne Ierusalem over and besides those that were sold to be slaues and those that were deuoured by wild beasts in the triumph of Flavius and Titus at Rome reade Iosephus de bello Iud. lib. 6. cap. 45. Titus AFter Flavius raigned Titus Vespatian his sonne two yeares two months twenty dayes The Nation of the Iewes being now subdued there was great peace in all parts of the Romane dominions both by sea and land and the Temple of Ianus in Rome was closed and locked vp againe Domitian FFlavius Domitian was associate to his brother Titus in government during his life time and after his death was his successor Hee raigned 15. yeares Hee was proud like Nero and persecuted innocent Christians as hee did so prone and bent is our corrupt nature to sinne and to follow evill examples Now againe the Church of Christ militant vpon the earth must learne obedience by suffering and must giue a proofe before the world that the Covenant of God is written in the tables of her heart and so deeply ingraved by the finger of God that no tribulation anguish persecution famine nakednesse nor death itselfe can separate her from the loue of Christ. The members of the
to bee inhabitants of it and was called by the Emperours name AElia Thus we see that the Iewes who would not receiue Christ who came in his Fathers name yet they received another who came in his owne name and like vnto babes who are easily deceived with trifles they were bewitched with the splendor of a glorious name for Barcochebas signifieth the sonne of a starre and hee said to the Iewes that hee was sent as a light from heaven to succour their distressed estate but hee might haue beene called more iustly Barchosba the sonne of a lie Here I giue warning againe that we take heed to our selues left wee bee circumvented with the deceitfull snares of the diuell for it is an easie thing to fall but a difficult thing to rise againe The Christians who lived in the dayes of Adrian were glad to bee refreshed with the crums of outward comfort which are denyed to no accused person in the whole world viz. that Christians shall not be condemned to death for the importunate clamours and cryes of a raging people accusing them except it be prooved that they haue transgressed the Law and haue committed some fact worthy of death Reade the Epistle of Adrian written to Minutius Fundanus Deputy in Asia The good intention of Adrian in building a Church for the honour of Christ voyd of Images because such was the custome of Christians was hindered by some of his familiar friends who sayd that if hee so did all men would forsake the temples of the gods of the Gentiles and become Christians In this point good Reader marke what Church is like vnto the ancient Primitiue and Apostolike Church whether the Church decked with Images or the Church voyd of Images Antoninus Pius TO Adrian succeeded Antoninus Pius his adopted son and raigned 23. yeares Hee was so carefull to preserue the liues of his Subjects that hee counted it greater honour to saue the life of one Subiect then to destroy the liues of a thousand enemies In this Emperours time Iustinus Martyr wrote notable bookes of Apologie for the Christians which were presented and read in the Senate of Rome and mollified the Emperours minde toward Christians as clearely appeareth by his edict proclaimed at Ephesus in time of most solemne conventions of all Asia Antoninus Philosophus and L. Verus AFter Antoninus Pius succeeded his sonne in law Antoninus Philosophus otherwise called Marcus Aurelius with his brother L. Aurelius Verus This is the first time wherein the Romane Empire was governed by two Augusties Albeit Titus had associated his brother Domitian to be a fellow labourer with him in the worke of government yet was not Domitian counted or called Augustus vntill the death of his brother Titus But now at one and the selfe same time two Emperours do raigne Antoninus Philosophus raigned nineteene yeares Lucius Verus his brother nine yeares And so after the death of Verus the whole gouernment returned to Antoninus Philosophus onely Hee was called a Philosopher not onely in regard of his knowledge but also in respect of the practise of Philosophie He was neither greatly pust vp by prosperity nor cast downe by aduersity yet he was a cruell persecuter of innocent Christians Now is the fuell added to the furnace the fourth time and the flame is great and the arme of wicked men who hated the name of Christians is strengthened by the Emperours commandement The trumpets of the Monarches of the world found the alarme against him who made them Kings rulers on the earth The poore innocent lambs of the sheepfold of Christ appointed for the shambles strengthened their hearts in God and in the power of his might chose rather to suffer adversity with their brethren then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season they were content to be racked and would not be delivered that they might bee partakers of a better resurrection whose bodies torne with stripes vntill their very inward bowels were patent to the outward sight witnessed the vnrent firmenesse and stability of their faith They were so supported with the power of that grace that commeth from aboue that they were not terrified with the multiplied numbers of cruell torments newly devised for dashing that invincible courage of faith which was seene in Christians Yea further then this When the persecuting enemies were compelled to change the high tuned accent of their menacing speeches and to craue but a little conformitie to the Emperours desire in swearing by his fortune the holy men of God would not once seeme to fall away from their profession by answering with timerous and doubtfull words but glorified God with a cleare and constant confession of their Christian faith Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna and Iustinus Martyr a man of singular erudition were both martyred in the fervent heat of this persecution But aboue all other places the consuming flame of the furnace brast out most vehemently in France that happy Nation wherein both of old and late time so many were found worthy to giue their blood for the name of Christ. Vetius Epagathus Maturus Prothenus Attalus Sanctus and Photinus Bishoppe of Lyons all suffered for the testimony of Christ in France And Blandina a worthy woman suffered many torments and renewed her spirituall courage by continuall iteration of these words Christiana sum that is I am a Christian. In like manner Christians were persecuted with the slanderous speeches of Pagans obiecting vnto them the banquets of Thyestes and the chambering of Oedipus that is the eating of mens flesh and incestuous coppulations But men who are giuen to the momentaneall delights of sin are not willing to die because that by death they are separated from all bodily pleasures The Christians by patient and willing suffering of death for Christs sake clearely witnessed vnto the world that they were not addicted to the deceitfull pleasures of sinne Neverthelesse these slanderous speeches were credited by the pagans and tooke such deepe roote in their hearts that those who seemed before to be more meek and moderate then others now they became full of madnesse and rage against Christians and that which was foretolde by our master Christ it was fulfilled at this time to wit The time shall come that whosoever killeth you shall thinke hee doth God good service The huge number of Martyrs that were slaine in the fury of this persecution are both accurratly and at great length set downe by that worthy instrument of Gods glory who lately wrote the Booke of Martyrs I onely point out shortly the estate of the Church at this time In this Emperours time good men were not wanting who admonished him to appease his wrath against Christians such as Claudius Apolinaris Bishop of Hierapolis and Melito Bishop of Sardis But nothing could asswage his cruell heart vntill hee was cast into the furnace of grievous troubles himselfe for his army that fought against the Germanes and Samaritanes fell
death beginning of the life of Melchisedecke this was done of purpose to bring in Melchssedeck as a type and figure of the true king of peace Christ Iesus as the Apostle declareth Heb. 7. but among ecclesiasticall writers I finde a preterition of the names of these worthy Pastors who were martyred for the cause of Christ in the sixt persecution and this ouerpassing with silence so weightie a matter is a secret confession of ignorance in this part of the historie together with a doubting whether Vrbanus the first Valerianus Tiburtius Cecilia and Martina suffered vnder Alexander or vnder Maximinus or vnder Decius Yea Platina writeth it was the opinion of some men that Vrbanus 1. was martyred in the persecution of Dioclesian I haue insisted at greater length in this purpose to the end that euery man may giue vnto sacred scripture that reuerence that is due vnto it but other writings let vs reade them with judgement for assuredly there is palpable weaknes in them In the ende this wicked persecuter Maximinus and his sonne were slaine by his owne souldiers at the siege of Aquileia Gordianus THe tyrannie of Maximinus enforced both the Senate of Rome and likewise their oppressed confederates in Africke to aduise by what meanes the distressed estate of the Commonweale might be supported And first Gordianus a man of noble birth in Rome and at that time Praconsul in Africke with his sonne bearing the name of Gordianus with his father these two were declared to be Emperours to resist the tyrannie of Maximinus but they were both cut off by Capellianus Captaine of the Mauritanians Within a short time the senate of Rome chused Maximus Pupienus and Balbinus to be Emperours and to resist the tyrannie of Maximinus But this election displeased the people of Rome therefore they were compelled to associat Gordianus a yong man of 13. yeeres olde in conjunct authoritie with them This Gordianus was the nephew of him who was Proconsull in Africke and the souldiers made out of the way Max. Pupienus and Balbinus So Gordianus raigned himselfe alone without associats sixe yeeres Philippus PHilippus a man borne in Arabia and his sonne raigned fiue yeeres Eusebius saith 7. yeeres He was the first Emperour who became a Christian and was baptized by Fabianus B. of Rome He was content to stand among the number of the penitents who made confession of their sinnes for his life was reprooueable in somethings before his conuersion especially in slaying of Gordianus an Emperour inclined to peace Decius one of the Captaines of his armie conspired against him and slew him and his sonne raigned in his stead Decius DEcius and his sonne obteined the Empire 2. yeeres Whether for hatred of Philip his master whom he had slaine or for detestation of Christians or for couetous desire of the treasures of Philip left in the custodie of Fabian B. of Rome or for some other cause it is not certaine Alwayes he mooued a terrible persecution against the Christians The martyrs who suffered death in the time of this persecution were innumerable Some few of the principall martyres I shall rehearse Alexander Bishop of Ierusalem died in prison at Caesarea Babylas Bishop of Antiochia died likewise in prison Fabian Bishop of Rome suffered martyrdome Dionisius Alexandrinus by a wonderfull prouidence of God escaped the handes of persecuting enemies Ciprian Bishop of Carthage was banished and reserued to the honour of martyrdome vntill the dayes of Valerian the eight persecuter Origen who from his childhood was desirous of the honour of martyrdome in this persecution of Decius he fainted and his heart was so ouerset with feare to haue his chaste body defiled with an vgly Ethiopian that he choosed rather to offer incense to the Idol then to be so filthily abused For this cause he was excommunicated by the Church of Alexandria and for very shame fled to Iudea where he was not only gladly receiued but also requested publickly to preach at Ierusalem Neuerthelesse in stead of teaching he watred his face with teares when he reade these words of scripture To the wicked man saith God What hast thou to doe to declare mine ordinances that thou shouldest take my couenant in thy mouth Ps. 50. ver 16. These words so deepely wounded his heart with griefe that he closed the booke and fate downe and wept and all the congregation wept with him No pitie nor compassion was had neither of sexe or age In this persecution Apollonia a virgine of good yeeres after they had dashed her face with battons till all her teeth were stricken out of her jawes they burned her quicke at the port of Alexandria This is that holy martyr whose teeth the Romane Church in our dayes say that they haue them as holy monuments kept in the treasures of their reliques vntill this time But the tryall that was taken of late dayes by Henry the eight king of England seeking for the teeth of Apollonia as a remedy of the toothach clearly prooueth that many teeth are supposed to be the t eeth of Apollonia that were neuer fastened in her jaw bones The death of Quinia Ammonarion Mercuria Dionisia clearely declareth what pitie was had of the weakenesses of women Iulianus an olde and gowtie man burned with fire testifieth what regard was had to the gray haires of ancient men Dioscorus a yong man not exceeding 15. yeeres of age albeit they were ashamed to condemne him to death yet he escaped not many painfull torments and was a glorious Confessor with patient expectation awaiting vntill the Lord should call him to the honour of martyrdome Nemesion was accused in Alexandria as a companion of brigants and was punished with stripes and fire vnto the death with greater seueritie then any brigant albeit his innocencie was sufficiently knowne Ammon Zenon Ptolemeus Ingenuus Theophilus warri ours and knights standing by the tribunall seate beckened with their hands to a certaine weake Christian who for feare was readie to incline and fall that he should continue constant and stepped to the bench and professed themselues to be Christians This dayly increasing courage of Christians who were emboldened by the multitude of sufferings astonished terrified the Iudges Ischirion was slaine by his owne master The number of martyres in Alexandria and Egypt of whom Dionysius in this Epistle written to Fabius Bishop of Antiochia maketh mention clearely testifieth that if the names of all those who suffered martyrdome in the townes of Rome Carthage Antiochia Ephesus and Babilon were particularly set downe together with the names of others who suffered in other townes of Asia Africke and Europe subject to the dominiof the Roman Emperour it were not possible in the volume of a litle booke to comprehend them all For mine owne part I presume not to doe it but I reuerence the painfull trauelles of learned men who haue dipped deepely into such a fruitfull subject specially the writer
of the booke of martyres Onely I find somethings in this seuenth persecution which the principall purpose wherefore I haue collected this compend will not permit me to passe ouer with silence Namely these first let no ma n thinke that the veritie is weake and hath neede to be strengthened by a lie as Nicephorus is accustomed to doe The seuen martyres of Ephesus whose names were Maximianus Malchus Martinianus Dionysius Ioannes Serapion and Constantinus were lurking in a caue the entrie whereof Decius commanded to be closed with great heapes of stones to the end that the forenamed Christians might be killed with famine which came to passe indeede Yet famine could not separate these holy Martyres from Christ. But Nicephorus the father of many other fables also saith that they fell on sleepe which they continued till the time of Theodosius that is from the 250. vntill the 379. yeere of our Lord and then they did awake out of their sleepe saith Nicephorus But he who will giue hastie credite to Nicephorus fables writing of the 7. martyres who lurked in a caue of mount Caelius and to Euagrius description of Barsanuphius an Egyptian monke who enclosed himselfe in a cottage beside Gaza for the space of 50. yeares and vsed no kinde of bodily refreshment to sustaine his earthly tabernacle he may be easily led to all kinde of errour The second thing worthy to be marked is that many persecuted preachers had wiues and children as the historie recordeth Cheremon Bishop of a citie in Egypt called Nilus fled to the mountaines of Arabia accompanied with his wife and returned not againe to Egypt neither was he seene of those who sought him in the wildernesse Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria who miraculously escaped the crueltie of persecuters maketh expresse mention of his children Deo mihi vt migrarem praecipiente viámque mirabiliter aperiente ego liberi multi fratres egressisumus that is after that God had commanded me to remooue and had miraculously opened a passage vnto me I and my children and brethren went forth If antiquitie be regarded Bishops who doe marrie are not Nicolatian Heretiques but rather such as forbid to marrie teach a doctrine of deuils Thirdly it is to be marked that in time of this vehement persecution many fainted and fell backe from the open profession of Christian faith Others to prouide timous remedie against such defections gaue out a rigorous sentence against such as had fallen of infirmitie that they should not be receiued againe into the fellowship of the church In this opinion was Nouatus and his complices And by their example we should learne to beware of such men as vnder pretence of zeale perturbe the vnitie of the Church and inuent remedies to cure the maladies of the diseased Church which are worse then the sicknes it selfe as the Novatians did Weakenes at some time is to be pitied but deuilish rigour pitying no man who falleth of infirmitie is a lesson that hath no allowance in the booke of God This cruell tyrant after he had raigned two yeeres made warre against the Scythians some call them the Gothes by whom hee was vanquished in battell and fearing to be ouertaken and to come vnder the tyrannie of barbarous people he cast himselfe into a deepe pit where he ended his life and his body could not be found The great desolations that were made in the world about this time by the plague of pestilence the Ethnickes imputed the cause of them to the Christians But Cyprian whose pen the Lord guided better declared that the cause of all these calamities was the worshipping of Idols the contempt of Gods true seruice and the persecuting of innocent Christians Gallus and Volusian AFter Decius Gallus and Volusian his sonne raigned two yeeres Hee walked in the footsteps of Decius Hee was slaine by Emilian who presumed to raigne but he was so hastily made out of the way that Eusebius and many other Historians misknow his name in the Catalogue oâ— Emperours Valerianus and Gallienus VAlerianus and Gallienus his sonne raigned 15. yeeres viz. Gallienus with his father in coniunct authoritie 7. yeeres after his fathers captivity and death hee raigned alone eight yeeres In the first three or foure yeeres of the Empire of Valerian hee was favourable and friendly to Christians and great numbers of them were found in the Emperours Court But afterward hee was seduced by an Egyptian Sorcerer who hated Christians because that by them he was hindred from practicing his magicall charms So the eight persecution began vnder Valerian In this persecution suffered three Bishops of Rome Lucius Stephanus and Sixtus and a Deacon Laurence who was layd vpon an hot broyling iron and patiently endured the torment of fire This is that Deacon who called the poore the treasure of the Church for then is the Church rich when it is rich in good workes and feedeth clotheth and visiteth Christ in his hungry naked and diseased members Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria was banished to Cephro a place in the wildernesse of Libya Priscus Malâ—bus and Alexander were devoured by beasts in Caesarea Palestina Cyprian Bishop of Carthage was beheaded Marinus a Roman Captaine in Caesarea was envied for the dignity and honour he was advanced vnto and hee was accused to bee a Christian and consequently to bee vncapable of great preferments and dignities he was encouraged by Theotecnus Bishop of Caesarea patiently to suffer death for the cause of Christ by taking him into a secret chamber and laying before him a drawne sword and the booke of the Gospell and bidding him take his choice of one of these two which he liked best Marinus liked better the booke of the Gospell then of the sword and was martyred for the faith contained in that sacred booke of holy Scripture Astyrius a noble Senatour caryed the body of this holy Martyr Marinus vpon his own shoulders and buried it hounourably In the end the Lord delivered this persecuting Tyrant into the hand of Sapor King of Persia who not onely detained him in strait captivity but also abused him most filthily and made his bodie a footstoole and trampled vpon his necke at such times as he was about to mount on horsebacke This fearfull captivity of Valerian had vnto it a notable testimony of the wrath of God against persecuters For like as hee trampled vnder his feet the Church of Christ so in like manner the Lord gaue his necke and backe to be trampled vpon by the feet of his enemies This example of Gods heavie indignation somewhat terrified Galâ—ienus his sonne and he gaue out an edict for the safe returning of such as were banished to their own dwelling places and for staying the rage of persecution Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria having liberty granted by the Emperors edict to returne from banishment came back againe to Alexandria wherein hee found such terrible desolation by famine
Alexandria many Christians were slaine for discouering the abominations of the Pagans especially in sacrificing to Mythra bloody sacrifices of reasonable creatures Among others Georgius the Arrian Bishop was bound vnto a Camel and both he and the Camell were burned with fire whom no man counts a martyr because he kept not the true faith In the countrey of Phrygia and towne of Miso Macedonius Theodulus Tatianus for breaking in pieces images were broiled vpon hot grates of yron The persecution of Athanasius which with great hazard he escaped by a stratageme of turning backe his ship in the face of the persecuting enemies was procured by Philosophers sorcerers inchanters who were about Iulian and affirmed that all their trauailes would be spent in vaine if Athanasius the only barre and obstacle of their doings were not made out of the way The wrath of Iulian was highly kindled against the inhabitants of Caesarea in Cappadocia This towne of old was called Maza but the Emperour Claudius changed the name of it and called it Caesarea The inhabitants of the citie for the most part were Christians and they had of old ouerthrowne the Temples of Iupiter and Apollo and the Temple of Fortune which only remained they ouerthrew in Iulians owne time For this cause Iulian rased the name of Caesarea out of the roll of cities and exacted from them 300. pound weight of gold compelled their Cleargie to serue in warrefare And finally he threatened to punish to the death al the inhabitants of Caesarea but the righteous Lord cutted the cordes of the wicked and he had not power to performe all his bloody designes He had intention to fight against the Persians yet would he doe nothing without consultation of his gods He sent his most assured friendes to all the Oracles within the Romane Dominions and he himselfe would inquire at the Oracle of Apollo in Delphos what should be the successe of his enterprises The answere of Apollo was that hee was hindered by the dead to giue his responses Hereof it came to passe that Iulian gaue libertie to Christians to transport the bones of the Martyr Babylas About the same time fire came down from heauen and destroyed the Temple of Apollo in Delphos and beate the image of Apollo in pieces like vnto the lightest and smallest powder or dust Moreouer he gaue libertie to the Iewes to returne to Ierusalem to build their temple to offer sacrifices conforme to the law of Moses not for loue he caried toward the Iewes but for hatred of the Christians therefore the worke prospered not but was hindered by earthquake fire and a mightie tempest of wind Marke how euery thing this hateful enemy of Christ enterprised had an euill successe Iulian arriued at Ctesiphon the Metrapolitane towne of Chaldea after that Babylon was ruined The king of Persia had his people in better preparation then the Emp. looked for therefore he tooke deliberation to returne back againe to the bounds of the Romane dominiōs but he who was deceitful al his daies was in end deceiued by an old Persiā captiue who led the Emp. into a baren wildernes where he cōcluded his life wounded with a dart but it remaines vncertaine by whom hee was slaine Iouinianus AFter the death of Iulian Iouinian was chosen by the Romane armie to be Emperour but liued not full 8. months in his Emperiall dignity He accepted not the soueraignty vntill the time the whole army with vniforme consent acknowledged themselues to be Christians He made a couenant of peace with the King of Persia such as necessity of a distressed army compelled him to condiscend vnto for Nisibis a great Citie in Mesopotamia with some dominions in Syria were resigned ouer to the King of Persia. The blame of this hurtfull capitulation was imputed to the temerity of Iulian the apostate who had burnt with fire the ships that should haue brought victualles to the armie and gaue hasty credite to a Persian captiue When he had reduced the army to the bounds of the Romane dominions hee buried the dead body of Iulian in Tarsus a towne of Cilicia and hee reduced from punishment the worthy captaine Valentinian whom Iulian had banished together with the Bishops banished from their places or compelled to lurke and in speciall Athanasius whose counsel hee was resolued to follow in matters of Faith and church gouernement In the ende hee tooke purpose to goe to Constantinople but by the way in the confines of Galatia and Bithinia he concluded his life in a Village called Dadasta 9. Valentinianus and Valens AFter the death of Iovinian the Romane armie choosed Valentinian to be Emperour who raigned 13. yeeres In whom was accomplished which is promised in the Gospell to render an hundreth-folde in this life to them who suffer any losse for Christs sake in the world to come eternall life Valentinian for Christs sake lost his office in Iulians Court he receiued in this world a kingdome and hath a greater recompence of reward laid vp for him in heauen The magnanimous courage of Valentinian in beating on the face that heathen priest who sprinkled holy water vpon his garments whereby he thought his garments to be contaminate and not his body sanctified This couragious fact was the cause wherefore Iulian banished him to Miletina a towne in Armenia He was relieued from banishment in the dayes of Iouinian and wa◠made Emp. after his death He was borne in a towne of Panonia called Cibalc he addressed himselfe immediatly after his acceptation of the Emperial soueraignty to Cōstantinople within the space of 30. daies he choosed his brother to bee his associate in the gouernement in such sort that the Emp. Valentinian gouerned the West and the Emperour Valens gouerned the Easterne parts of the Roman Dominions The Emp. Valens finding the Persians to be quiet disposed to keepe the couenant of peace bound vp in the dayes of Iouinian he vndertooke an vnsupportable warfare against the Homousians The vsurpation of the Tyrant Procopius did somewhat slacken the readines and quicknes of his attempts but after Procopius was deliuered into the handes of the Emp. Valens by Agelon Gomarius his Captaines he rent in pieces the body of Procopius by bowing downe to the ground the toppes of strong trees whereunto he caused the legs of Procopius to be fastened The bodies of Agelon and Gomarius the two Captaines who betrayed Procopius were cutted in twaine with sawes of yron In which fact the Emprour Valens had no regard to the oath of God which he made vnto them for their safetie Procopius being subdewed he bended all his might against the Homousians He banished Miletius B. of Antiochia to Armenia Eusebius B. of Samosata to Thracia Pelagius Bishop of Laodicea to Arabia The town of Samosata was so affectioned to their own Pastor Eusebius that they would not cōmunicate with Eunomius whom
the Arians sent to fil his place Valens was filled with wrath against the Fathers conucened in the councel of Lampsacum this is a towne neere vnto the straite forth of Hellespontus because they adhered fast vnto the Nicene faith In Constantinople he not only banished the Homousians but also the Novatians their B. Agelius because they would not consent with the Arrian in the matter of faith In Edessa a towne of Mesopotamia the Emperour gaue commandement to slay the Homousians who were assembled together in the church but the seruent zeale of one woman that ran in hast through the rankes of souldiers drawing with her her yong and tender child together with her couragious answere to the Captaine staied the rage of the Emp. wonderfully for she counted it a sweet fellowship that she and her babe should be found amongst the number of these who were counted worthy to suffer death for the name of Christ. Neuertheles the Emp. banished of men who dwelt in Edessa especially of such as were in spiritual offices to the number of fourscore whom he commanded by two two to be dispersed through Thracia Arabia and Thebaida The inuincible courage of Basilius Bishop of Caesarea in Capadocia the peaceable death of Athanasius which hapned in the verie time of Persecution of this Arrian Emperour Valens together with the furie and madnesse of the Arrian Bishop Lucius intruded in Alexandria All these things God willing shall bee touched in their owne places Amongst al the facts of vnspeakeable cruelty committed by Valens one fact ouerwent all the rest While the Emp. was at Nicomedia fourescore Ambassadours were directed vnto him amongst whom Menedemus Vrbanus Theodorus were the chiefe These complained to the Emperour of the manifold injuries done to the Homousians The Emperour gaue commandement to Modestus the Gouernour of his armie to embarke them into a ship as if they were to be banished vnto some remote and far distant place but secret direction was giuen vnto the ship-men to set the ship on fire and to retire themselues into a boat So it came to passe that these fourscore Martyrs circumvented by the craft of Valens glorified the Name of Christ by patient suffering of many deaths at one time both tormented by fire and drowned in water Terentius and Traianus two worthy Captaines vsed some liberty in admonishing the Emperour to abstaine from persecuting of innocent people because his fighting against God procured good successe to the Barbarians but the Lord was minded to destroy him therefore he could receiue no wholesome admonition for a number of the Nation of the Gothes whom he entertained as souldiers meete to defend his Dominions against the invasion of forrainers and strangers they began to waste the Countrey of Thracia and they fought against the Emperour Valens and preuailed against him so that he fled and was overtaken in a certaine Village which the Gothes set on fire So this Emperour died miserably burnt with fire by his enemies without succession and left his name in curse and execration to all ages after he had raigned 15. or 16. yeeres as Sozomenus reckoneth Now to returne to the Emperour Valentinian Hee was a defender of the true Faith and was so highly offended against his brother Valens that hee would make him no support against the invasion of the Gothes for hee sayd it was an impious thing to strengthen the hand of a man who had spent his dayes in warfare against God and his Church In his dayes the Samaritans invaded the bounds of the Romane Dominions Valentinian prepared a mighty army to fight against them but they sent vnto him Ambassadours to entreate for peace When the Emperour saw that they were but a naughty people hee was moved with excessiue anger whereby he procured the rupture of some arters or veines wherevpon followed great effusion of blood And so he himselfe died leauing behinde him two sonnes Gratianus whose mother was Severa and Valentinian the second whose mother was Iustin Gratianus Valentianus the second and Theodosius GRatianus the sonne of Valentinian after the death of Valens his fathers brother had the government both of West and East His brother Valentinian the second was his associate in the government of the West But when he perceived that the waighty affaires of the Kingdome required the fellowship of a man who was ripe in yeeres hee chose Theodosius a man of Noble parentage in Spaine to whom hee committed the government of the East contenting himselfe and his brother Valentinian with the government of the West Gratianus in the beginning of his raigne reduced from banishment those Bishops whom the Arrian Persecuter Valens had banished Hee was slaine by Andragathius Captaine of the army of Maximus who vsurped the Empire of the West This Andragathius not by valour and might but by circumvention fallhod and treason overthrew the good Emperour Gratian for hee made a report to passe in Lions where the Emperour Gratian had his remayning that his wife was comming to him and hee in simplicitie went forth to meete his wife beyond the riuer Rhonne but Andragathius who was couertly lurking in a chariot stepped out and slew Gratianus after he had raigned with his father with his brother and with Theodosius fifteene yeares His brother Valentinian young in yeeres was seduced by the intising speeches of his mother Iustina after the death of her husband in whose dayes shee durst not presume to avow the Arrian Heresie yet after his death shee entised the flexible minde of her sonne to persecute Ambrose Bishop of Millaine because hee would not consent to the Arrian doctrine The zeale of the people affectioned to their faithfull Pastor hindered the cruell purposes of Iustina Likewise the miracles wrought at the sepulchres of Protasius and Gervasius opened the mouthes of the people to glorifie God and to magnifie that Faith which Protasius and Gervasius had sealed vp with their blood these holy men of God were martyred in the second great Persecution mooved by the Emperour Domitian The dolorous tithings of the death of Gratianus and the neere approaching of the Tyrant Maximus to Italy compelled Iustina to leaue the persecuting of Ambrose and to flie to Illericum for safety of her owne life and her sonnes life Theodosius being mindefull of the kindenesse of Gratianus towards him led an army against the Tyrant Maximus The Captaines of Maximus army terrified with the rumour of the might of Theodosius army delivered him bound into the hands of Theodosius and hee was iustly punished vnto the death Andragatius who slew the Emperour Gratian as is sayd seeing no way to escape threw himselfe head-long into a river and so ended his wretched life About the same time Iustina the mother of Valentinian the second shee died her sonne was peaceably possessed in his Kingdome and Theodosius returned to the East againe But within few
dayes hee was compelled to gather a new army and fight against the Tyrant Eugenius and his chiefe Captaine Arbogastus who had conspired against Valentinian the second and strangled him while he was lying in his bed This battell went hardly at the beginning but Theodosius had his recourse to God by prayer and the Lord sent a mighty tempest of winde which blew so vehemently in the face of Eugenius army that their darts were turned backe by the violence of the winde in their owne faces Of which miraculous support sent from aboue the Poet Claudian writes these Verses O nimium dilecte Deo eui sundis ab antris Eolus a mat as biemes cuiâ—â—â— at ather Et cominrati veniunt ad classica venti The Tyrant Eugenius fell downe at the feet of Theodosius to begge pardon but the souldiers pursued him so straitly that they slew him at the Emperours feete Arbogastus the author of all this mischiefe hee sled and being out of all hope of safety slew himselfe Like as there was no sacrifice wherein dung was not found even so the life and actions of this noble Emperour was spotted with some infirmities Against the Inhabitants of Thessalonica the Emperour was mooved with excessiue anger so that seven thousand innocent people were slaine invited to the spectacle of Playes called Ludi circenses and in the Greeke language 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this fault the good Emperour was reprooved by Ambrose Bishop of Millaine and confessed his fault in sight of the people with teares and made a lawe that the like commandements concerning the slaughter of people should not haue hastie execution vntill the tune that thirty dayes were overpassed to the end that space might be left to either mercy or to repentance In like manner he was angry out of measure against the people of Antiochia for overthrowing the brasen portrait of his beloved bedfellow Placilla The Emperour denuded their towne of the dignity of a Metrapolitan Citie conferring this eminent honour to their neighbour towne Laodicea Moreover hee threatned to set the towne on fire and to redact it vnto the base estate of a village But Flavianus Bishop of Antiochia by his earnest travels with the Emperour mitigated his wrath for the people repented their foolish fact and were fore afraid and the good Emperour moved with pitty pardoned the fault of the towne of Antiochia His lenity toward the Arrians whom hee permitted to keepe conventions in principall Cities was with great dexterity and wisedome reprooved by Amphilochius Bishop of Iconium For hee came in vpon a time and did reverence to the Emperour but not vnto Arcadius his sonne albeit already associated to his father in government and declared Augustus whereat Theodosius being offended Amphilochius very pertinently and in due season admonished the Emperour that the God of heaven also would bee offended with them who tolerated the blasphemers of his only begotten Sonne the Lord Iesus Christ. Wherevpon followed a lawe discharging the conventions of Heretikes in the principall Cities In all these infirmities it is remarkeable that the good Emperour ever gaue place to wholesome admonitions The excessiue paines hee was compelled to vndertake in Warfare hastened his death for hee contracted sicknesse soone after his returning from the the battell fought against Eugenius and died in the 60. yeere of his age and in the 16. yeere of his raigne He left behind him his two sonnes Arcadius to governe the East and Honorius to governe the West ⸪ CENTVRIE V. Arcadius and Honorius THE good Emperour Theodosius left behinde him two sonnes Arcadius to governe the East parts and Honorius the West Arcadius raigned 14 yeeres He was a meeke and godly Emperour but not couragious as his father had beene His simplicity was abused by Eudoxia his wife Ruffinus his chiefe counseller and Gania his chiefe Captaine Eudoxia was offended at the freedome that Chrysostome vsed in reproving of sinne And by the meanes of Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria procured his deposition Theophilus had gathered a Synode at the Oke of Calcedon and because Chrysostome being warned refused to appeare they convict him of contumacy and deposed him after deposition followed banishment from which the affectioned mindes of the people toward their Pastor constrained the Emperour to reduce him againe yet Eudoxia continued in her malice and procured by the meanes of Theophilus his second deposition banishment with commandement to iourney his weake bodie with excessiue travels from place to place vntill hee concluded his life Ruffiinus stirred vp Alaricus King of the Gothes to fight against Arcadius secretly presuming to the kingdome but his treasonable enterprises being espyed hee was slaine and his head and right hand were hung vp vpon the port of Constantinople Gaina of a simple souldier was made generall Commander of Arcadius his army hee waxed insolent and proud affected the kingdome being in blood a stranger of the Nation of the Goths in religion an Arrian Hee craved a petition of the Emperour that hee might haue one of the Churches of Constantinople wherein hee might serue God according to his owne forme but this petition by the prudent advice of Chrysostome given to the Emperour was reiected and the pride of Gaina for a time was something abated Honorius raigned in the West all the dayes of his brother Arcadius and 15. yeeres after his death The whole time of his government was very troublesome Gildo his Lieutenant in Africke vsurped the dominion of Africke and Mascelzer his brother who at the first detested treasonable enterprises in his brother yet afterward followed his brothers footsteps and received the iust deserved reward of his inconstancy for hee was slaine by his owne souldiers In like manner Stilico the Emperours father in law for Honorius married his daughter and the Emperors chiefe Counseller presumed to drawe the kingdome to Eucherius his sonne and stirred vp the Vandales Burgundians Almans and diverse others to invade the kingdome of France to the end that Honorius being overcharged with the multitude of vnsupportable businesse might permit Stilico to set forward to the designes of his owne heart About this time Rhadagisus a Sythian accompanied with an army of two hundred thousand Gothes came to Italy And the helpe of Vldinus and Sarus Captaines of the Hunnes and Gothes being obtained Rhadagisus was suddenly surprised himself was taken and strangled many were slaine the most part were sold whereupon followed incredible cheapnesse of servants so that flocks of servants were sold for one peece of gold in Italy The next great trouble came by Alaricus King of the Westerne Gothes who invaded Italy and camped about Ravenna with whom Honorius entred into a capitulation and promised to him and his retinue a dwelling place in France The Gothes marched toward their appointed dwelling place But Stilico the Emperours father in law followed after them and set vpon them at vnawares when they suspected none evill
seditious Monkes On the other part a great number of Syria Caua came to support the troubled estate of Flauianus For these things as if he had beene a contentious man he was banished and Senerus a notable Eutychian heretique was placed in his roome this is he of whom I haue mentioned diuers times that Alamundarus prince of Saraceus deluded his messengers and sent them backe ashamed and confounded The next attempt was against Helias Bishop of Ierusalem against whom this quarrell was forged that hee would not subscribe the Synodicke letter of Seuerus and damne the councel of Chalcedon and by the Emperours commandement Olympius the captaine came to Ierusalem expelled Helias and placed Iohn a familiar friend of Seuerus in his roome This Iohn by the perswasion of Sabas a Monke of Palestina forsooke the fellowship of Seuerus and was cast into prison by Anastatius the Emperours captaine but when he was brought foorth out of prison againe he disappointed the expectation of Anastatius the captaine for he openly auouched the foure generall councels and anathematifed the followers of Arrius Macedonius Nestorius and Eutyches In doing whereof he was mightily assisted both by the people and the Monks so that Anastatius the Emperours captaine fearing popular commotion fled and returned againe to the Emperour but Seuerus Bishop of Antiochia moued with wrath against the Monks of Syria set vpon them and slew 300. of them and gaue their carcases to the foules of the heauen and the beastes of the earth such mercie was and is to bee found in headstrong heretiques In all this desolation the courage of Cosmas Bishop of Epiphania and Severianus bishop of Arethusa is to be admired who wrote a booke conteining a sentence of deposition of Severus Bishop of Antiochia which booke Aurelianus a deacon of Epiphania clad in a womans apparrell deliuered vnto him in Antiochia and afterward conueyed himselfe away secretly The Emperour was highly offended against Cosmas and Severianus and he wrote to Asiaticus gouernour of Phoenicia that hee should eiect them out of their places but when answere was returned to the Emperour that it could not be done without blood the Emperour left off further pursuing of them Many counted Anastatius a peaceable Emperour because he would haue setled controuersies in the Church as eiuil controversies at sometimes are settled namely by a law of oblivion but there is no capitulation betwixt darknesse and light but darknesse must yeeld vnto the light of God In Africke moe then 900. were crowned with martyrdome vnder the raigne of Anastatius as Magd history recordeth out of the first booke of Regino de Anastatio Platina writeth that he was slaine with thunder Iustinus the elder AFter Anastatius succeeded Iustinus a godly Emperour and governed nine yeeres and three dayes Hee restored the Bshops whom Anastatius had banished Hee banished also Arrian Bishops who were found within his Dominions Severus Bishop of Antiochia a vile Eutychian Heretique and a bloody Foxe hee displaced and caused him to be punished by cutting out of his tongue as some affirme Theodoricus King of the Gothes obtaining domion in Italy persecuted true Christians with great hostility and sent Ambassadors to the Emperour Iustinus to restore the Arrian Bishops whom hee had banished else he would pursue the Bishops who were in Italy with all kinde of rigour And because the Ambassadors returned not backe againe with such expedition as he expected hee put hand to worke and slew two noble Senators Symmachus and Boetius Likewise when the Ambassadors were returned hee cast in prison Iohannes Tuscus Bishoppe of Rome and his companions whom hee had before imployed to goe on message to the Emperour Iustinus The Bishop of Rome died in prison for lacke of sustentation but the Lord suffered not this barbarous cruelty of Theodoricus to be long vnpunished for the Lord strake him with madnesse of minde so when he was sitting at table and the head of a great fish was set before him hee imagined it was the head of Symmachus whom he had slaine and was so stupified with feare that anon after hee died In the dayes of this Emperour Iustinus was a terrible earthquake the like whereof hath not beene heard at any time before wherewith the towne of Antiochia was shaken and vtterly ruined With the earthquake fire was mixed consuming and resolving into ashes the remnant of the towne which the earthquake had not cast down In this calamity Euphrasius Bishop of Antiochia perished The good Emperour mourned for the desolation of Antiochia and put on sackcloth on his body and was in great heavinesse whereof it is supposed that hee contracted that disease whereof hee dyed When he found his disease daily encreasing he made choyce of Iustinian his sisters sonne to be his colleague who governed foure moneths in equall authority with his vncle and then Iustinus ended his course Iustinianus A After the death of Iustinus Iustinianus his sisters sonne governed 38. yeares Hee would suffer no faith to be openly professed except the faith allowed in the foure generall Councells Notwithstanding the Empresse Theodora his wife was a favourer of Eutyches heresie This Emperour was bent to recover all that was lost by his predecessors in Asia Africke and Europe and hee had good successe through the vertue and valour of his Captaines especially Belisarius and Narses Belisarius first fought against the Persians who had overcome not onely Mesopotamia but also many parts of Syria Antrochena and Cava Hee overcame them in battell and compelled them to goe back beyond Euphrates Next he was employed to fight against the Vandales in Africke who possessed great bounds of the Romane dominions ever since the dayes of Gensericus King of the Vandales And it is to be marked that the time was now come wherein the Lord wil declare that the blood of his Saints is precious in his eyes For since the dayes of Dioclesian that bloody persecuting Emperour no race of people persecuted Gods Saints with so barbarous cruelty as the Vandales did for zeale they had to the Arrian heresie wherewith they were infected After Gensericus Hunericus and Amalaricus and Trasimundus who closed the doores of the Temples of Christians and banished their Bishoppes to Sardinia Childericus would haue shewed some favour to Christians and reduced their Bishoppes from banishment for this cause the Vandales did slay him and gaue his kingdome to Gillimer Now the Lord remembred the grones of his owne prisoners and would not suffer the rod of the wicked perpetually to lie vpon the lot of the righteous Belisarius fought against the Vandales prosperously recovered Carthage and all the boūds pertaining to the Roman Empire possessed by the Vandales Also he tooke Gillimer their King and carried him captiue to Constantinople It is worthy of remembrance that Iustinian would not receiue into his treasure the vessels of gold which the Emperour Titus when hee burnt the Temple of Ierusalem
transported to Rome These same vessels Gensericus King of Vandales when he spoyled Rome transported to Carthage and Belisarius after hee had conquered Carthage hee brought them to Constantinople againe but Iustinian sent them to Ierusalem to bee disposed vpon according to the wisdome of the Christian Bishops in those bounds The third warfare against the Goths for recovering Italy out of their hands was the greatest of all the rest and endured longest time to wit eighteene yeeres wherein Belisarius and Mundus and after them Narses all valiant Captaines were imployed It was brought on vpon this occasion as Evagrius following Procopius in whose time this warfare was intended doth record Aâ—alasunta the daughter of Theodoricus had the government of Italy Astalarichus her sonne before hee came to perfect age died Theodatus a kinsman of Theodoricus had the government by the mariage of Aâ—alasunta but he rendered vnto her evill for good and thrust her into prison and slew her In Theodatus time came Belisarius to Italy to fight against the Gothes but seeing Theodatus was more meet for Philosophy then for warfare he gaue place to Vitiges to haue the governmeÌ„t Belisarius recovered the Isle of Sicile he came to Rome and the ports were opened to him and hee was gladly received he tooke Vitiges King of the Gothes and carried him captive to Constantinople Mundus another Captain overcame the Goths in Dalmatia recovered the Countrey to the Romanes but in the mids of this victory hee was slaine through too hasty and furious pursuing of his enemies who had slaine his sonne In the absence of Belisarius for the Emperour had sent for him to fight against the Persians the Gothes chose Theudebaldus and after him Attaricus who continued but short time Finally Totilas was chosen to bee their King who recovered againe the towne of Rome and the most part of all the principall townes of Italy Belisarius albeit hee was sent backe againe to Italy and recovered Rome the second time yet the Persian warre continually was the cause of reducing him backe againe from Italy In the end Narses a valiant man was sent to Italy who overcame the Gothes draue them out of Italy and brought it againe vnder the soveraignty of the Romans What good recompence for so great service was rendered to Belisarius and Narses many writers haue recorded I passe it over with silence Narses mooved with indignation against the Empresse Sophia the wife of Iustinus the younger the successor of Iustinian he sent for the Longobards who came out of Pannonia and possessed themselues in that part of Italy which is vnto this day called Lombardy It is one of Iustinians chief praises that he caused the great Ocean Sea of the Romane lawes to bee abriged into short compend and to be comprised within the compasse of fifty bookes vulgarly called Pandectis or Digestis having short titles prefixed vnto them rather then prolix and tedious coÌ„mentaries subioyned vnto them Also he gathered a generall Councell in Constantinople about the 14. yeere of his raigne to pacifie if it were possible the contentious disputations that were mooved about the writings of Origen Theodorus and Ibas but this I referre to its owne place Iustinus the younger IVstinus was nephew to Iustinian Hee governed sixteene yeeres Hee governed alone twelue yeeres and with Tiberius whom hee associated three yeeres and eleven months All things succeeded vnprosperously in his time Alboinus King of the Longobards possessed himselfe and his people in Italy Cosroes King of Persia with his Captaine Adaarmanes tooke the towne of Apamia and burnt it with fire and the towne of Circesium and put garrisons into it and miserably wasted the bounds of the Romane dominions When these things were reported to Iustinus who would credite no true information before now is stricken with madnes and astonishment of minde being grieved for this that the state of the Romane Empire should haue decayed in his time and through his default For remedy whereof Tiberius a wise and valiant man by the advice of Sophia was associate to Iustinus to governe the affaires of the kingdome Evagrius describeth at length the Oration of Iustinus to Tiberius when he clothed him with all Emperiall ornaments and how hee exhorted him not to be bewitched with the splendor of those garments as he had beene but with vigilancy and wisedome to governe the estate of the kingdome This he spake after he was recovered of his disease and in presence of all the noblemen of his Court so that they were compelled to shead abundance of teares when they heard at one time so cleere a confession of his owne miscariage and so prudent counsell given to his associate Tiberius TIberius raigned three yeeres and eleven months in coniunct authority with Iustinus and after his death hee raigned foure yeeres himselfe alone so all the time of his government was seven yeeres and eleven moneths In his time Cosroes King of Persia was puft vp with such insolencie in regard of his former victories that hee would not admit the Ambassadours of Tiberius to his presence but commanded them to follow him to Caesarea of Cappadocia there to receiue their answer for hee had taken Daras a towne of Mesopotamia in the borders of the Romane Empire builded by the Emperour Anastatius and called Daras because about this place Darius had his last overthrow by Alexander of Macedonia After the taking of Daras hee marched toward Armenia in the Summer time and from thence entended to addresse toward Caesarea Cappadocia expecting none encounter or resistance of the Roman army But Tiberius had prepared a well appointed army consisting of mo then an 100. and fifty thousand men to resist Cosroes whose forces when Cosroes could not match he fled and for very heart-griefe hee died and gaue advice to the Persians not to make warre against the Roman Empire in any time to come The estate of the Church was the more peaceable vnder his raigne because the Vandales in Africke and the Gothes in Italy were already vtterly subdued The Longobards whom Narses brought out of Pannonia to Italy were the more insolent to afflict Christians because Tiberius was occupied in the Persian warfare against Cosroes The Nation of the Gothes had as yet full sway in Spaine and they were miserably addicted to the Arrian heresie insomuch that Lemugildus King of the Gothes caused his owne naturall son Elmingildus to be slaine because he forsook the Arrian faith Also their number was augmented by returning of many Vandales to Spaine who had escaped the hands of Belisarius Mauritius MAuritius was Captaine of the Army of Tiberius to whom Tiberius gaue his daughter in marriage with his kingdome for he found himselfe sicke vnto the death He raigned 20. yeeres hee fought against the Persians and prospered in that warfare and after that peace was bound vp amongst them Chaianus King of Avares Hunnes and Slavonians fought against
Christians to the making whereof concurred Sergius a Nestorian heretik and Iohn of Antiochia an Arrian heretike and some Iewes Mahomet also ordained that all people whom the Saracenes could conquer should be compelled by fire and sword and al kind of violence to receiue the doctrine contained in these bookes Heraclius perceiuing the sudden great increase of the doÌ„inion of the Saracens gathered a great army fought against them but he was ouer-come in battell and lost 150. thousand men of his army And when he renewed his forces againe to fight against the Saracens he found that 52. thousand men of his army died in one night suddenly as those did who were slaine by the Angell of God in the army of Senacherib Heraclius was so discouraged with the calamitie of his armie that he contracted sicknesse and died Constantinus and Heracleonas AEter the death of Heraclius raigned his son Constantine 4 moneths was made out of the way by poyson giuen vnto him by Martina his fathers second wife to the end that Heracleonas her son might raigne But God suffered not this wickednes to be vnpunished For Martina and Heracleonas were taken by the Senators of Constantinople her tongue was cut out and his nose cut off least either her flattering speeches or his beauty and comelines should haue moued the people to compassion and they were both banished About this time the Saracenes had taken Caesarea in Palestina after they had besieged it seuen yeeres and they slew in it seuen thousand Christians Constans AFter the banishment of Martina and Heracleonas her sonne raigned Constans the sonne of Constantine 27. yeeres in religion he followed the footsteps of Heraclius and was infected with the heresie of the Monothelites and persecuted Martinus 1. Bishop of Rome because he had gathered a Synode in Rome and damned the heresie of the Monothelites whom also he caused to be brought in bands to Constantinople cut out his tongue and cut off his right hand and banished him to Chersonesus in Pontus where hee ended his life Hee fought also against the Saracenes in sea-warre-fare and was ouer-come by them like as interpreters of dreames had fore-tolde him for he dreamed that hee was dwelling in Thessalonica and the interpreters said it portended no good but that others should ouer-come him as if the world Thessalonica did import 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is render victory to another Constans was slaine by one of his owne seruants as hee was washing himselfe in the bathe-houses of Saracuse Constantinus Pogonatus COnstans being slaine in Sicile the army in those parts appointed Mezentius a man of incomparable beautie to bee Emperour but Constantinus the eldest sonne of Constans sayled to Sicile with a great nauie slew Mezentius and the murtherers of his father and recouered his fathers dominion to himselfe Hee was called Pogonatus because his face was not bare and voide of haire when he returned from Sicile as it was when hee sailed thither from Byzans but his face was rough and couered with haire Hee had 2. brethren whom the people reuerâ—nced with equall honour as they did him therefore hee disfigured their faces by cutting off their noses and reigned himselfe alone 17. yeeres In religion hee was not like vnto his predecessors who had beene fauourers of heretiques but he assembled a generall Councell at Constantinople vulgarly called the sixt Oecumenick Councell wherein the heresie of the Monothelites was vtterly damned as in his owne place shall be declared God willing Likewise the estate of the Emperour was more peaceable than it had beene in time of his predecessors for the Saracens were compelled to seeke conditions of peace from him and to offer yeerely paiment of 3000. pound weight of gold vnto him with other tributes of horse seruants and prisoners Iustinianus the second Leontius and Absimarus AFter the death of Constantine raigned his son Iustinian the second sixteene yeeres to wit ten yeeres before his banishment and sixe yeeres after his banishment His gouernement was cruell and bloodâ—e by perswasion of Stephanus and Theodorus whose counsell hee followed euen till the purpose of exirpation of all the Citizens of Constantinople But Leontius a man of noble birth pitying the Citie tooke Iustinian the Emperour cut off his nose and banished him to Chersonesus Ponti where he remained in great miserie ten yeeres Stephanus and Theodorus his bad counsellors receaued a condigne punishment for they were burnt quicke in the bellie of an hot brasen bull After this banishment of Iustinian the second Leontius raigned three yeeres The flexible mindes of vnconstant people and souldiers choosed Absimarus to be their Emperour who dealt with Leontius as hee had dealt with Iustinian and cut off his nose and thrust him into a Monasterie where hee remained seuen yeeres to wit all the time of Absimarus gouernement In the ende Iustinian after ten yeeres banishment recouered his Emperiall dignitie againe by the helpe of Terbelliâ— Prince of Bulgaria Hee caused Leontius and Absimarus to be brought vnto him whom he trampled vnder his feete after commanded that they should be beheaded The crueltie that he vsed against the Citizens of Constantinople and against the inhabitaâ—â—â— of Chersonesus Ponti is almost vnspeakeable He was hated of all men Philippicus conspired against him and he was slaine by one named Elias his seruant CENTVRIE VIII Philippicus AFter Iustinian the second was slaine Philippicus raigned two yeeres and nine moneths Great dissention fell out betwixt the Emperour Philippicus and Constantine Bishop of Rome for razing as appeareth the pictures of Fathers who were present at the sixt Generall Councell which being pictured in the Temple of Sopia were abolished by the commandement of Philippicus Constantine Bishop of Rome declared the Emperour an heretique and commanded that his name should be razed out of charters This was the first great direct and violent opposition that the Bishops of Rome attempted against noble Emperours Philippicus was taken and his eyes were put out by Anastasius otherwise called Artemius his Secretarie who raigned in his stead Artemius ARtemius otherwise called Anastasius raigned one yeere and three monethes hee deposed Iohn Patriarch of Constantinople who kept not the true faith and placed Germanus in his steade Hee was taken by Theodosius and sent prisoner to Nice and from thence to Thessalonica where he was compelled to renounce his Emperiall dignitie and to be clothed with the habite of a Monke Theodosius THeodosius raigned scarce one yeere and when he heard that Leo Isaurus gouernour in the East parts was saluted Emperour by the armie he willingly gaue ouer his Emperiall dignitie and liued a priuate and peaceable man Leo Isaurus LEo Isaurus raigned twentie foure yeeres great commotions were in his time both in Church and policie In Church-affaires he was an hater of Images and burnt Images made of wood other images hee melted misfashioned against whom Gregorius the second pust vp with antichristian pride opposed himselfe
of the West Now Irene was deposed and banished by Nicephorus who raigned eight yeeres after her banishment CENTVRIE IX Carolus Magnus IN the yeere of our Lord 801. Charles the Great King of France was declared Emperour by Leo the third Bishop of Rome and hee raigned sixteene yeeres in his Imperiall dignity for hee continued King of France forty and six yeeres The Empire of the West had beene cut off since the dayes of Augustulus the sonne of Orestes whom Odoacer King of Rugiheruli c. had compelled to denude himselfe of the Imperiall dignity Now after the issue of 300. yeeres and after the Hunnes the Gothes the Lombards and other Nations had obtained dominion in the West all abstaining notwithstanding of their prevailing power from the name dignity and stile of Emperours Now at length I say Charles the Great is anoynted and crowned Emperor by Leo the third in the towne of Rome And this was the beginning of that evill custome which after followed to wit That Emperours should receiue their coronation from the Bishops of Rome At this time the Empire of the East was in the hands of the Empresse Irene and in the hands of the Emperour Nicephorus who had banished Irene and raigned in her stead The Empire of the East was also weake at this time as appeareth by a covenant of peace which they concluded with Charles Emperour of the West in the which no mention is made of Exarchatus Ravennae to be rendred againe vnto them onely that the Isle of Sicile and the townes and lands which lie from Naples Eastward on the right hand and from Manfredonia sometimes called Syponto on the left hand compassed about with the Seas called Superum Inferum these should remaine in the possession of the Emperours of Constantinople ' Charles a prudent and godly Emperour more sound and vpright in sundry heads of Christian doctrine then many others for hee detested the worshipping of Images as vile Idolatry as appeareth by his bookes written against the second Councell of Nice Charles was very friendly to Christians and defended them against the violence and tyranny of their persecuting enemies namely against Godfridus King of Denmarke a fierce adversary against the Christians who dwelt in Saxony Likewise hee subdued the Slavonians and Bohemians enemies to Christian Religion and was iustly called Magnus for his great exploits and valiant acts which God prospered in his hand Pipinus the sonne of the Emperour Charles was declared King of Italy who died before his father and after his death hee appointed Bernard his nephew to raigne in Italy with expresse commandement That hee should bee obedient to his sonne Ludovicke whome hee ordained to be successour to himselfe in the Imperiall office So the Emperor Charles full of dayes died in the 71. yeere of his age and was buried in Aken Ludovicus Pius AFter Charles succeeded his sonne Ludovicus Pius and raigned 26. yeeres For his gentle and meeke behaviour he was called Pius He received the Imperiall Diadem from Stephanus the fourth at Aken Bernard his brothers sonne forgetfull of the mandate of Charles the Great rebelled against Ludovicus Pius and was beheaded at Aken Likewise his owne sonnes assisted with Hugobortus Bishop of Lions and Bernhardus Bishop of Vienne and other Bishops who did excommunicate the Emperour for adherence to Iudith his wife behaued themselues very vndutifully towards their father Neverthelesse he freely pardoned his sonnes and accepted them againe into favour Also Fredericke Bishop of Vtrecht threatned to excommunicate the Emperour if hee did noâ— forsake the company of Iudith his welbeloved wife and daughter to the Duke of Bavaria because shee was his neere kinswoman to wit in degrees of consanguinity for bidden in the Popish lawe The Empresse willing to bee revenged of the Bishop shee hired two Gentlemen who set vpon him after Church service and slew him in his Priestly garments In his time also the Saracens in huge numbers like vnto Locusts swarmed out of Egypt and Africke and invaded the Isle of Sicile By cutting downe all fruitfull trees burning Townes Temples and Monasteries and by killing Bishops Priests and Monkes they brought the I le to an vtter desolation Gregory the fourth at that time was Pope and hee exhorted the Emperour and his sonne Lotharius to support the distressed estate of the Isle of Sicile They answered That albeit that matter duly belonged to Michael Emperour of Constantinople yet neverthelesse they refused not to vndertake the worke vpon the common charges of the Countrey Now whilest these things were in reasoning Bonifacius Count of Corsica and his brother Bertarius with support of the people of Hetruria arrived with a Navie at Africke and betwixt Vtica and Carthage encountred with the Saracens foure times and slew of them so great a number that they were compelled to recall their forces backe againe from Sicile like as of old the Carthaginians vexed by Scipio recalled Hanniball for the safety of his owne country So Bonifacius returned back againe with an army victorious and richly lodened with the spoyle of his enemies Nothing was more vnprovidently done by the good Emperour Lodovicus Pius then the giving ouer of that right voluntarily conferred to Charles his father by Adrian the first and Leo the third to wit That no man should be elected Pope without the consent and allowance of the Emperour This foresaid right Ludovicus gaue over to the Clergie and people of Rome onely the Romanes for keeping of friendshippe should send an Ambassadour to the King of France declaring whom they had elected to bee Pope Hereby a patent doore was opened to all mischiefe which after followed and to that horrible contention betwixt Emperours and Popes concerning investment of Bishops In his time three Emperours raigned in the East at Constantinople to wit Leo Armenius Michael Balbus and Theophilus Leo Armemenius raigned seven yeeres Hee banished Nicephorus Patriarch of Constantinople for defending adoration of Images Michael Balbus slew Leo his predecessor whilst he was praising God in the Church and raigned in his stead nine yeeres In his time the Saracens mightily prevailed a number of them issued out of Spaine and tooke the Isle of Candie Another company comming from Africke wasted the Isle of Sicile Theophilus raigned ten yeeres and fought against the Saracens who did oppresse the countrey of Asia but he had no good successe Lotharius LOtharius the sonne of Ludovicus Pius was declared King of Italy and Augustus before his fathers death He was anoynted by Pope Paschalis in the Church of Saint Peter and he raigned 15. yeeres Great hostility and bloody warres fell out amongst the children of Ludovicus Pius to wit Lotharius Lewis Charles and Pipinus fordividing of their fathers Lands In this civill dissention the Nobility of France was so miserably weakened that the Normans and Danes tooke boldnesse to invade the countrey of France which they vexed for the space of twenty yeeres In the East after Theophilus had concluded
and Constantine had caused their father Romanus to bee shauen and thrust into an Isle called Prote And Constantine after the issue of 26. yeeres wherein Romanus and his sonnes raigned he laied hands on Stephanus and caused him to bee shauen and sent vnto the isle Mytelene and his brother to the Isle of Samothracia Thus the Lord who will not suffer iniquitie to escape vnpunished rendered to the sonnes of Romanus a iust recompence of their vnkindlie dealing with their father Otto Primus OTto the first after the death of his father Henrie was chosen Emperour and raigned 36. yeeres Hee was molested with many forraine and domestique warres but hee prospered in all his enterprises yea and Lyndolphus his owne sonne conspired against him for the marriage of Adelphed the relict of Lotharie sonne to Hugo who contended against Berengarius for the kingdome of Italie This Adelphed the Emperour Otto not onely relieued from her distressed estate but also married her The mother of Lindolphus was daughter to Edmont King of England after whose death it displeased him that his father should marrie Adelphed But when hee made warre against his father he was ouercome and besieged at Ratisbon and in the end was reconciled to his father The tyrannie of Berengarius the second enforced the Romans to implore the assistance of the Emperour Otto who led an armie to Rome at diuerse times The first time hee gathered a Councell at Rome and deposed Ioan. 13. whom others call Ioan. 12. and placed Leo 8. in his steed Likewise hee subdued Berengarius and his sonne Albertus did flie to Constantinople and so the Emperour recouered againe his owne dignitie to be king of Italie and that no man should bee chosen Pope without consent of the Emperour Againe the inconstancie of the Romans in reiecting Leo 8. and receiuing againe Ioan. 13. or 12. compelled the Emperour to returne to Rome and to punish the authors of that sedition to the death After hee had declared his sonne to be Emperour he died and was buried in the Church of Magdeburg which he had builded in his owne time In the East after Romanus the son of Constantine had raigned 3. yeeres Necâ—phorus raigned 6. yeeres a man more magnanimous in warfare then wise in government He was murthered by the Counsell of his owne wife Theophania and Zimisces raigned in his steed Otto Secundus OTto the second after his fathers death raigned ten yeeres he was a vertuous Prince but not like vnto his father Henrie Duke of Bavare contended against him for the title of the Empire but Otto prevailed Likewise Lotharie the King of France invaded the countrie of Loraine onely belonging to the Emperour But Otto gathered a strong armie recouered the Countrey of Loraine and pursued Lotharie to Paris burning and destroying all the Countrey whether hee went The third great conflict was against the Eretians assisted with the Saracons for the Countries of Apulia and Calabria These countries did appertaine of old to the Emperour of the East But Basilius with his brother Constantine willing to recouer these Countries againe did fight against the Emperour Otto and discomfited his armie and the Emperour himselfe hardly escaped in a fisher boate faining himselfe to bee but a simple Souldier and payed his ransome Afterward hee conuerted all his wrath against the Italians who had trayterouslie forsaken him and were the chiefe cause of the discomfiture of this armie hee died at Rome and was buried in the Church of S. Peter Basilius Emperour of the East raigned 50. yeeres and recouered the Isle of Candie from the Saracens and the Countryes of Apulia and Calabria from Otto as is said after whom his Brother Constantine raigned 3. yeeres Otto Tertius OTto the third was young in yeeres when his father died For hee exceeded not eleuen yeeres old notwithstanding he was chosen Emperour and raigned 19. yeeres Hee was wise aboue his yeeres and was called Mirabile mundi that is the admirable thing of the world The Italians continuallie breaking soueraigntie advanced one Crescentius to bee Emperour The Emperour Otto for suppressing such seditious attempts pearced into Italie with an armie at three diuers times and pardoned Crescentius twise But when hee made no ende of his seditious attempts the third time hee hanged him Likewise Iaon 18. whom the Seditious Romanes had advanced reiecting Gregorie the fift who was made Pope with the Emperours consent his eyes were plucked out and hee was throwne headlong from the Capitol By the prudent aduise of Otto Gregorie the fift appointed Seuen electors of the Emperour to wit the Bishops of Mentz Collen and Treer with Count Palatine the Duke of Saxonie and the Marquis of Brandenburgh and in case of contrary opinions the King of Bohemia Which custome doth continue even to our dayes One thing was lacking in the felicity of this noble Emperour that his wife Mary of Arragon was a notable and barren harlot and the widow of Cresentius and had almost bewitched his noble heart Shee being alwayes disappointed of her expectation sent vnto the Emperour a paire of impoysoned gloues which procured his death and hee was buried in Aken CENTVRIE XI Henry the second AFter Otto the third Henry the second Duke of Bavaria by the Princes Electors was declared Emperour hee raigned two and twenty yeeres Platina assigneth vnto him onely eighteene Hee was a wise valiant and godly Emperour He subdued all his rebells He received the Imperiall crown from Benedict the eight Hee expelled the Saracens out of Italy In this Emperours time Sueno King of Denmarke invaded England and subdued it to his obedience A savage Prince in whom if power had not lacked to performe his designes his cogitations were highly bended to extirpate all profession of Christian religion in England Likewise about this time Calipha of Egypt one of the Saracen Princes destroyed some of the temples of Ierusalem and poluted the rest but in speciall he overthrew the Temple builded about the Lords Sepulchre His mother was a Christian woman when that was obiected to him in way of exprobation as if hee had favoured Christians for his mothers sake hee bended all his might against the Christians destroyed and poluted their Temples and massacred in most cruell manner all them who were in spirituall offices This was the first ground of the terrible warfare which afterward ensued vulgarly called Bellum sacrum Conrad the second AFter Henry the second succeeded Conrad the second and was elected Emperour three yeares after the death of Henry In this inter-raigne many cities of Italy desirous of libertie made desertion from the subiection of the Emperour But Conrad was a wise and valiant warriour and reduced the cities of Italy in short time to subiection He was the first Emperour who made a law that the perturbers of the common peace in Germany should be punished vnto the death Hee received the Imperiall crowne from Pope Iohn 21. and raigned 15. yeeres In whose dayes
Michael Paphlago who married Zoe the daughter of Constantine the tenth raigned in the East eight yeeres Henry the third AFter Conrad the second his sonne Henry the third raigned 17. yeeres Hee married the daughter of Canutius the sonne of Sueno King of Denmarke who at that time raigned in England In his time great strife was among the Bishops of Rome contending for the Popedom Which sedition the Emperour suppressed by remooving all the three seditious Popes and appointing Clemens the 2. to bee Pope as shall be declared God willing in the Head of Councels In the East after the death of Calypha Prince of Egypt his sonne Dabir made a covenant of peace with Argyrophilus Emperour of the East and gaue liberty to Christians to build those Temples againe which Calypha had demolished Constantinus Mononiachus also furthered the building so that the worke was perfected anno 1048. Henry the fourth HEnry the fourth was a young childe of seven yeeres old when his father died and hee raigned 50 yeeres Hee was an Emperour valiant wise eloquent and fortunate in warfare Neverthelesse hee was miserably vexed with the divilish pride of Pope Gregorie th 7. by whom hee was twice excommunicate and his subiects in Germany were stirred vp by the Pope to rebell against him vnder the conduct of Rodolph Duke of Sueue But the God of heaven gaue victory to the the Emperour Henry and Rodolph was sore wounded in the last battell for his right arme was cut off and hee convicted in conscience of the treasonable attemps against the Emperour his Master and the breaking of his oath of allegance admonished the Bishops who had incited him to seditious insurrection to bee more obedient to their soveraigne Lord in time to come because God had punished him for his disloyalty in his right arme which was once lift vp to sweare the oath of allegance to his Master The seditious enterprises of Gregorius the 7. against the noble Emperonr Henry of purpose to throw out of his hands the power of investment of Bishops together with the wise resolution of the Emperour to represse the pride of this insolent Pope they are to be declared God willing heareafter in a more convenient time In this Emperours time William Duke of Normandy entered into England to whom Harold who at that time vsurped the government of the countrey gave an hard and sharpe encounter but Duke William prevailed slew Harold and governed the countrey At this time also was the estate of Christians in most lamentable manner afflicted by the Turkes and Saracens as shall bee declared hereafter at greater length God willing CENTVRIE XII Henry the fift IN this Century the Bishops of Rome who breathed for preheminence and longed for soveraignty attained to all their intended desires And albeit no age afforded more magnanimous couragious Emperours such as Henry the 4. Henry the 5. Lotharius the 2. Conrad the 3. Fredericke the 1. called Barbarossa yet the power of the wrath of God iustly punishing the defection of men from the true faith suffered the man of sinne and childe of perdition to be mounted vp to high preheminence and to treade vnder foot the power of the Emperour So that the Bishop of Rome was reverenced as a God in the world and all high powers stouped vnder his authority Henry the fift was incited by the Councell of Bishops to make cruell warre against his naturall father Henry the fourth And from a Councell assembled at Mentz the Bishops of Mentz Collen and Worms were sent to depriue Henry the fourth of all his Imperiall ornaments and to conferre them to his sonne The father through sorrow and partly through sicknesse departed this life after hee had raigned 50. yeeres as hath beene declared After the dayes of Henry the fourth his sonne Henry the fift raigned 20. yeeres Who came to Rome to bee crowned Emperour by Pope Paschalis the 2. The Pope would not consent to his coronation except hee first did giue over all right of election of the Pope and all right of investments of Bishops by staffe and ring The Emperour grieved with this proud carriage of the Pope layd hands vpon the Pope and his Cardinals and compelled them to perfect the worke of his coronation and to confirme his priviledges of right to elect Popes and to conferre investments to Bishops It is to be noted that Pope Paschalis when hee covenanted with the Emperour and confirmed the priviledges aforesaid tooke a consecrated Hostie and divided it in two parts and gaue one part of it to the Emperour and tooke the other part vnto himselfe vttering with his owne mouth this imprecation Let him be divided from the kingdome of Christ who shall presume to violate this covenant bound vp betweene you and mee Neverthelesse Pope Paschalis so soone as the Emperour returned vnto Germany hee revoked all that hee had done and cursed the Emperour and called the priviledge which hee had confirmed vnto the Emperour pravilegium and not privilegium The Emperour hearing what the Pope had done with expedition marched toward Rome with an army the Pope was forced to flie to Apulia The Emperour returned to Germany where he did find the Bishops for the most part seditiously affectionat to the Pope Therefore the Emperor wearied with multitude of businesses stirred vp against him by Bishops gaue over his priviledges aforesaid gaining some peace with giving over of rights At this time died Mathildis a noble Countesse in Italy and excessiuely addicted to the Romane Church In restamentall Legacy shee gave to the Church of Rome many townes and possessions lying betwixt the Apenning and the Sea and among the rest the towne of Ferrara The Romane Church braggeth of many donations such as the donation of Constantine of Aistulphus of Pipinus of Charles the Great of Ludovicus Pius of Otto and of Mathildis If these bounds appertained to the chaire of Rome by so many anterior donations How did these townes belong to Mathildis in hereditary possession so that she had power to bestow them on whom she pleased In Ierusalem after Godfrey succeeded Baldowin his brother the second King of Ierusalem and after him another Baldowin of Burgon Hee prospered for a time but in the end was taken prisoner by Balach King of Parthians and was redeemed by paying a great summe of money He left Fulto Earle of Aniow his successor the fourth King of Ierusalem Lotharius the second AFter the death of Henry the fift Lotharius Duke of Saxonie by the consent of the Electors was chosen Emperour and raigned thirteene yeeres In his time two men contended for the Popedome to wit Innâ—centius the 2. and one Peter a citizen of Rome and sonne to Peter Leo whom they called Anacletus whom Rogerius Count of Sicile did favour But the Emperour Lotharius came to Rome with an army and authorized Innocentius Rogerius fearing the power of the Emperour returned backe to Sicile Conradus the third AFter the death of
many followed him When Pope Alexander came to Rome the Townes of Italie were in great â—â—ope of libertie and rebelled against the Emperour they reedefied the towne of Millan which the Emperour had sacked and ruinated and they builded a towne called Alexandria in contempt of the Emperour and in honour of the Pope When the Emperour Frederike came to Italie hee besieged this new builded towne called Alexandria but was betraied by Henry Duke of Bauaria and Saxonia so that he escaped hardlie in the habit of a seruant and returned to Germanie The Emperour renewed his forces againe and pierced into Italie with a great armie Pope Alexander fled to Venice Otto the Emperours sonne on the other part with a well appointed nauie pursued after him hauing receiued a commandement from his father to attempt nothing against the Venetians vntil his owne comming But the young man more hardie then circumspect encountred with the Venetians and was ouercome and taken prisoner The father for relieuing of his sonne from Captiuitie was content to come to Venice and in Saint Marks Church to craue absolution from Pope Alexander When hee kneeled downe at the Popes feete the proud Pope set his foot vpon the Emperours necke and abused the words of holy Scripture Super aspidem basiliscum ambulabis conculcabis leonem draconem that is thou shall walke vpon the Lyon and the Aspe the young Lyon and the Dragon shalt thou tread vnder feet The Emperour answered non tibi sed petro that is not to thee but to S. Peter but the proud Pope replyed Et mihi petro that is both to me and to S. Peter to wit thou doest this homage The Emperour not willing to giue any further occasion of offence held his peace and so was absolued and his sonne relieued with whom hee departed from Venice After this some affirme that he led an armie to Palestina to fight against the Turks and that hee prospered vntill at length he was drowned in a certaine riuer The Christians in Ierusalem had their last helpe and refreshment from Philip king of France and Richard king of England These two besieged Acon and conquered it But there was kindled betweene the two kings a feruent heat and indignation euerie one of them enuying the honour of another so that Philip returned to France and king Richard after hee had conquered Ioppo returned also to England But by the way hee made ship-wracke and hardly escaped the perill of drowning And albeit hee disguised himselfe putting on the habite of a seruant yet he was knowne and taken prisoner by the Duke of Austria and was brought to the Emperour Henry the sixt where hee was detained vntill hee paied the ransome of 10000. pounds money After Baldowine succeeded Amalricus the sixt king of Ierusalem And after him his sonne Baldowine the 4. the 7. king of Ierusalem Hee was sickly and not meet for governement Therefore he committed the gouernement to Guido and Raimundo Count of Tripoli The discord and debate betweene Raimund and Guido presented occasion to Saladin king of Turkes to recouer againe Ierusalem and other Townes possessed by Christians for the space of 88. yeeres Henry the Sixt. AEter the death of Frederike the first his sonne Henry the sixt was declared Emperour who raigned 8. yeeres hee was Crowned by Pope Caelestinus the second who tooke Constantia the daughter of Rogerius out of a Monasterie and gaue her in marriage to Henry the sixt and both Sicils were bestowed to him in way of dowrie paying alwayes to the Bishop of Rome the fee duely that was accustomed to bee paied out of those parts Henry the sixt tooke Trancredus the young king of Sicile put out his eyes and thrust him into a Monastery and vsed great cruelty against the Bishops and other inhabitants of the Isle of Sicile So that Pope Caelestinus did excommunicate him for his Barbarous crueltie but hee went to Rome acknowledged his fault and obtained pardon together with a confirmation of the kingdome of Sicile The Pope sollicited also the Emperour to lead an armie to Asia for support of distressed Christians which thing hee performed albeit he went not thither in his owne person for he sent the Bishop of Mentz the Duke of Saxonie the Duke of Austria and the Duke of Bauaria and the Lantgraue of Thuringia with many other noble persons and with a well appointed armie But the yeere following their arriual at Palestina the report of the Emperour Henries death caused them to returne backe againe to Germanie leauing the Christians in a verie desolate care CENTVRIE XIII Philippus AFter the death of Henry the sixt Philip his brother by the helpe of the Bohems Saxons Bauaroies and Sueuians tooke on him the Emperiall authoritie contrarie to the minde of Innocentius Bishop of Rome and reigned 10. yeeres In his time the country of Germanie was tormented with most cruell wars for the Pope of Rome did excommunicate him and caused the Bishop of Colen and other electors to make Otto Duke of Saxon Emperour betweene whom and Philip were fought diuers battels But Philip defended himselfe so couragiously that by force hee held the Emperiall Crowne all his life-time against the heart both of Otto and the Roman Bishop who oftentimes had threatened that either hee would pull from Phillip the Imperiall Crowne or else that Phillip shold take from him his triple Diademe so meek was this gentle Byshop In the end the Countrey of Germanie being wearied with continuall warres entreated for peace betweene Philip and the Pope which was obtained vpon these conditions that one of Philips daughters should bee giuen in marriage to Count Richard the Popes Nephew and another of his daughters should be giuen in marriage to Otto Duke of Saxon who should for that cause denude himselfe of the Emperiall dignitie Not long after this peace was concluded the Emperour was cruellie murthered in his owne chamber by Otto Count Palatine In this Emperours daies began the kingdome of the Tartarians who came from the mountains of India with their wifes and children in 〈◊〉 1202 and began to spoyle the Prouinces nerest adiacent to themselus afterward they ouerhaled the Parchians Medes Assyrians Persians Armenians and Sarmatians and in the end setled their dwelling place at Meotidis Paludes a barbarous and fierce people practising great crueltie against all nations both of Christians and others Otto Quartus AFter the death of Philip Otto Duke of Saxon was Crowned Emperour by Pope Innocentius the third Now it was the custome that hee who was crowned Emperour vsed to distribute gifts to the Romans which custome being neglected by Otto the Romans made some commotion and tumult wherein they abused the Emperours seruants He therefore departing from Rome with great discontentment invaded certaine townes belonging to the Chaire of Rome whereby hee incurred such hatred at the Popes hands that hee was forth-with excommunicated and although the Pope hated the of-spring of Henry the sixt
yet when the Electors of Germanie condescended to make Frederike the sonne of Henry Emperour the Pope agreed thereto because hee had a more deadly hatred at those who touched the apple of his eye that is S. Peters patrimonio as they call it then at any other sort of people In the East Alexius Ducas otherwise called Murzulfus raigned a short time for hee was taken by the Venetians and Frenchmen who had restored againe Isacius to his kingdome and they threw him headlong ouer a steepe place because hee had murthered his Master for ambitious desire of his kingdome These Venetians and Frenchmen set vp Baldwine Count of Flanders to bee Emperour of the East Thus was the Empire of the East translated to the French nation for a time as the Empire of the west had beene before in the dayes of Charles de maine After him raigned Henry his brother 2 yeeres who hauing no male children left the kingdome to Petrus Antisiodorensis his sonne in law who was cut off by the fraud of Lascharis after hee had raigned two yeeres After him his sonne Robert raigned 7 yeeres hee was crowned Emperour by the Bishop of Rome as the Germane Emperours were accustomed to be To him succeeded his young sonne Baldwine in whose time the Empire returned againe to the Grecians And Theodorus Lascaris sonne in Law to Alexius Commenus who plucked out the eyes of Isacius was saluted Emperour and raigned eight yeeres after whom Ioannes Ducas his sonne in Law raigned 33. yeeres Fredericus Secundus AFter the death of Otto Frederike the second sonne to Henry the sixt obtained the Empire and râ—igned 38. yeeres Hee was by inheritance king of Naples Apulia Calabria and Sicilia His father obtained shortlie after he was borne of the Princes Electors that they should choose his sonne Frederike Emperour after his death which they did crowning him Emperour at Aquisgraue when he was about 20. yeere old From thence hee passed with his nobles and Princes to Rome and there with great solemnitie was consecrated called Augustus by Pope Honorius the third After his consecration he gaue by his charter to the Church of Rome the Dukedome of Fundanuus for by the insatiable couetousnesse of the Roman Bishops this wicked vse and custome grew that except the Emperours Elected and crowned would giue vnto them such great and large gifts they could not obtaine of them their consecration and confirmation which for that intent they deuised Furthermore the said Emperour willing to shew himselfe more bountiful towards the Church of Rome gaue and admitted those constitutions which the Pope himselfe would desire by which doing he gaue a sword in their hands to cut his owne throat for hee did grant to the Canon of proscription devised by the Pope and his adherents that whosoever were excommunicate for diminution of the liberties of the Church and so continued a yeeres space that this person should be within the danger of his proscript and should not bee relaxed before hee had made satisfaction and was admitted by the Pope to the Church and Congregation of good men againe But this liberty of Fredericke was well required by Hononorius for soone after his returning to Germany hee heard of certaine who begun to raise and make new factions against him amongst whom were found Thomas Richard the brethren of Innocentius the third Earles of Anaquinos that held certaine Castles in the kingdome of Naples against him by force which Castles hee besieged and beat downe Richard also hee tooke and sent him prisoner to Sicilia But Thomas escaped and came speedily to Rome where hee was not onely received by Honorius but also when the Emperor began to expostulate with him for the vnseemlinesse of this deed the Pope was so chased that without further delay he thundred out against him like a tyrant his cursings and excommunications After this fell out a ground of a new debate between the Emperour and the Pope For the Christians that were in Asia were so weakened that Iohn surnamed Brennus King of Ierusalem came himselfe to the Emperour and to the Pope to seeke helpe for the distressed Christians who were in Asia This Iohn gaue his daughter Ioel in mariage to the Emperour with the title of the Kingdome of Ierusalem in dowrie with her The Emperour on the other part promised that with all possible expedition hee would leade an armie into Asia against the Turkes wherevpon and by the meanes of Iohn King of Ierusalem the Emperour and the Pope were reconciled againe But before the Emperour tooke his iourney to Asia Honorius died in whose roome succeeded Gregorius the ninth who excommunicated the Emperour a new againe because hee was compelled by sicknesse to come backe from his iourney to Asia and to remaine a space in Europe for the recouering of his health againe The next yeere after to stop the mouth of the slanderous and cruell Pope and to declare to the world that the last yeere hee did not leave off his iourney by his owne voluntary will but by necessity hee set forward with a great army and arrived at Ioppa The Saracens were so troubled with his arrivall that they were content to render to Fredericke the towne of Ierusalem with all the possessions that were scituate betweene it and Ptolemaide and the greatest part of Palestina and the Cities of Tyrus and Sydon which were in Syria and all other territories which Baldwin the fourth at any time had occupied there Also they were content to set at liberty all the prisoners who were in their hands and finally to conclude peace for the space of ten yeeres In the meanetime while the Emperour is thus occupied in Asia Pope Gregory the ninth in the Emperours absence made it knowne to the whole world for what cause he was so earnest to chase him away to the East not that he cared for the welfare of the distressed Christians in Asia but to the end hee might worke him some trouble in his absence as appeared by all these subsequent practices For hee invaded the kingdome of Naples and the rest of the dominions which pertained to the Emperors inheritage and subdued a great part of these dominions to himselfe Likewise he had a secret dealing with Henry the Emperours son to stirre him vp against his father and prevailed so farre in this divellish treason that by the Popes counsell hee put from him his trustie Counceller Ludovicus Duke of Boioria whom his father had ordained to be guider of his sonne in his absence Likewise when the Emperour sent letters out of Asia declaring the good successe that God had given him and therewith desiring the Pope and Christian Princes and people to give thanks to God for the same These letters so grieved the Popes minde that hee rent them in peeces cast them vpon the ground and trode them vnder his feet to the great admiration of the Emperours Legats Againe to colour the rage of his impotent minde with some
who died within 18. daies after to whom succeeded Innocentius In whose time the Emperour hoped for peace but was disappointed for albeit a day was appointed for their meeting together at Festennia and the Pope had promised that hee would be there before the Emperour and expect his comming yet hee mocked the Emperour and secretly in the night tooke ship and first came to Genua and from thence to Lyons in Fraunce where hee gathered a councell and excommunicated the Emperour Notwithstanding the Emperour was determinate to goe to Lyons himselfe and to conferre with the Pope both concerning this sentence pronounced against him as also about the conclusion of peace if by any meanes it could be obtained But as he was vpon his iourney newes was brought to him that Parma was taken by his out lawes assisted by the Popes Legat wherefore being out of hope of peace he set himselfe againe to the warre and besieged Parma planting ouer against it the forme of a towne which he called Victoria wherein his Souldiers camped But the citizens of Parma getting knowledge vpon a time that the Emperour was gone to hunting and his souldiers were stragling here and there without order issued out of the towne and slew a great number of them and burnt his Campe Victoria Soone after the Emperour being in Apulia in a certaine Castle called Florentinium ended his life In this time it is to be noted that there was such dissention betweene the Emperour and the Pope that the factious names of the Guelfes and Gibelins sprang vp in Italie and continued euer since almost to our owne dayes for the Guelfes followed the Pope the Gibelins the Emperour so that it came to passe that all they who followed the Pope were called by the name of Guelfes and these who followed the Emperour Gibelins Conradus Quartus AFter the death of Fredericke succeeded Conradus his sonne who with manly courage began to subdue the Townes of Apulia and of the kingdome of Naples which rebelled against him but he was hastily cut off by his brother Manfred who being couetous to keepe in his owne hand the Dukedome of Apulia which hee had invaded caused to empoyson the Emperour Conrad after hee had raigned 2 yeeres Also hee caused the testament of Conrad to be suppressed wherein hee had appointed Cunradinus his sonne to be heire of all his dominions At this time Innocentius 4. thinking it most convenient to invade the Kingdome of Sicilie and bring it vnder his dominion sent two strong armies to subdue it but they were both ouercome and driuen back by Manfred whereat the Pope was so grieued with Melancholie that hee died But Pope Clemens succeeding Innocentius stirred vp Charles Count of Angeow brother to Lewis king of Fraunce to make war against Manfred who prevailed against him and killed him and possessed Sicilia Calabria and Apulia and all that Manfred before had vnder his obedience Cunradinus the sonne of Conrad being come to perfect age came with an armie to Italie to claime his fathers Dominions and was gladly receiued at Rome soone after was ouercome in battell by Charles Count of Angeow who had slaine Manfred before and was cast into prison and afterward by commandement of the Pope was beheaded at Naples with Fredericke Duke of Austria his assister For Charles vpon a time demanded the Roman Bishop Clemens 4. what hee should doe with his prisoners to whom he answered Vita Cunradini mors Caroli that is the life of Cunradinus is the death of Charles wherevpon ensued their publike execution So the Kingdome of Naples by the crueltie of the Romane Bishop against the iust owner came into the hands of Frenchmen Wilielmus William Count of Flanders whom Pope Innocentius had declared Emperour when hee excommunicated Frederike at Lyons was yet aliue and was accounted Emperour but hee was slaine by the Frisians after hee had raigned one yeere after the death of Cunrad After whose death variance fell betweene the Electors of Germanie for choosing of the Emperour for part named Alphonsus King of Castile others Richard the brother of king Henry of England But because neither of them were receiued by the whole Empire the Emperiall authoritie was counted voyd and vacant the space of seuenteene yeeres In the East raigned Theodorus Lascaris the younger 4. yeeres Rodulphus IN the yeere of our Lord 1273. the Princes Electors being assembled together at Frank foord choosed with one consent Rodulph Count of Halsburg to be Emperour who gouerned 18 yeeres This man neuer receiued the Emperiall dignitie nor entred into Italie for hee vsed to recite to his familiars the fable of the foxe that said to the Lyon hee was affraid to enter into his denne because hee perceiued the stepps of many beasts going inward but of none that returned out againe And so he said many Emperours haue entered Italie with great Pompe and glorie but by the meanes of the Bishop they returned euill handled with great iniuries He had deadly warre with Ottiocarus King of Bohemia who had invaded Austrich and appropriated it to himselfe while as the Empire wanted an head through the variance of the Electors against him he fought a sore battell in the fieldes of Austrich and obtained the victorie and Othocarus there was slaine whose sonne the Emperour gentlie entreated giuing him Suta his daughter in marriage and giuing Agnes daughter to Othocariu in marriage to Rodulph the Emperours sonne Adolphus AFter Rodolph Adolph Count de Nassaw was chosen Emperour and raigned six yeeres he was infortunate in all things hee went about and therewith so needie and poore that when hee had receiued of King Edward of England a great summe of money to aide him against the King of Fraunce hee spent the money vpon his houshold and had not wherewith to fulfill his promise when time required Hee had great warres with Albert Duke of Austrich whom he trauelled to depriue of his Dukedome But Albert led out his armie against him in the fieldes of Spira and discomfited his hoste and killed himselfe and raigned in his steed as will be declared in the next Centurie god willing In Constantinople after Theodorus Lascaris the younger succeeded Michael Paleologus and raigned 35. yeeres He plucked out the eyes of Iohn the sonne of Lascaris and right heire of the Empire His sonne Andronicus againe who succeeded to him caused his father to bee buried in an obscure place and not in a princely Sepulchre because he had agreed with the Church of Rome Now as touching the holy Land many great armies went to Asia in this Centurie for recouering of Ierusalem first vnder the cōduct of Ludouick Duke of Bavaria Leopold D. of Austrich and Andro king of Hungarie with the Florentins and Genuans marked with the badge of the Crosse and diuers Bishops of France and Germanie raised an armie tooke the towne of Damiata in Aegypt but soone after it was lamentably lost by a deuised stratageme of the
Sultan of Aegypt who fained as though hee had beene flying from place to place vntill hee found the Christian armie Camping in a low place beside the riuer Nilus and then opening the sluâ—es of the water the most part of all the Christians were drowned and Damiata againe recouered The second armie was led by Fredericus the second into Asia at what time Ierusalem was recouered againe and all that Baldwine the fourth had of old in his possession was rendered to the Christians and a couenant of peace was bound vp for 10. yeeres to come as hath beene declared in the treatise of the life of Fredericke The third armie was raised vp by Theobald King of Nauarre Americus Count of Montfort Henry Count of Campanie Peter Count of Britan and Anselmus de Insula Theobald hauing the chiefe regiment of the armie which set foreward by the intisement of Gregorie the 9. before the time of the 10. yeeres peace concluded by Fredericke had taken an ende For the which cause it is not to be doubted but this voyage had the more vnprosperous successe for they had lost the third part of the armie before they came to Antiochia from thence they went to Ptolemais and from thence to Gaza The Barbarians perceiuing that this armie was set forth without the Emperours aduice because his Souldiers that were in Asia keeped the bond of peace and assisted not this armie of Theobald they laid there Ambushments in secret places wayting for advantage of the Christian armie and set vpon them when they were wearie returning from their spoiling with great prey but the Christians made strong resistance and put the aliens to flight The day next following the Barbarians renewed their forces and prevailed against the Christians Americus Count of Montfort and Henry Count of Campanie being slaine And Theobald king of Navarre with great difficultie escaped and returned home accompanied with a very few number of men who remained vndestroyed in that vnprosperous voiage The fourth armie was led by Richard Count of Cornwall whom the Pope had put in hope to be made Emperour but when hee came to Ierusalem and vnderstood by Rainoldus the Emperours deputie there of the peace which had beene concluded by a solemne couenant hee enterprised nothing against the Barbarians but subscribed the bond of peace concluded before by the Emperour Fredericke and left he should seeme to haue made all his trauels in vaine hee receiued some dropps of the Lords blood from the Patriarch of Ierusalem so blind was this seduced age that a vaine shew of counterset reliques was counted a worthie price to recompence the ieopardous trauels of Princes leading great armies from one end of the world to another After the death of Rainald the Templaries without all regard of the peace bound vp denounce warre to the Saracens and compelled the Christians in Asiato put themselues in armes But the Soldan of Aegypt sent for support of the Babylonians who sent vnto him a companie of sauadge men called Grossouij who pitched their campe at Gaza and tooke it and destroied all the Templaries that dwelt therein The like did they to the inhabitants of Askelon also the people that came to support the Templaries were vtterly cut off and finallie they set vpon Ierusalem which was easily conquered and all the inhabitants thereof were put to the sword without regard of sexe or age and the towne it selfe was subuerted neither was any building spared though neuer so ample pleasant also they subverted the Sepulchre of the Lord. The first voiage was vndertaken by Lewis King of Fraunce sonne to the Queene Blanch who being diseased and almost at the point of death vowed to God that in case hee recouered health hee would be crossed or marked with the crosse to visit the Lords Sepulchre and there solemnly to render thankes which vow also hee endeuored to performe and in the yeere of our Lord 1248. after he had receiued the Popes blessing at Lyons set forward with a mightie armie hauing in companie with him the Earle Atrabacensis his brother the Duke of Burgundy the Duke of Brabant the Countesse of Flanders with her two sonnes the Earle of Britanie with his sonne the Earle of Barrensis the Earle of Swesson the Earle of S. Paul the Earle of Druise the Earle Retel with many other noble Persons In the beginning of this enterprise they seemed to prosper well for they tooke the Towne of Damiata at their first arriuall into Aegypt which was the chiefe seat and hold of the Saracens in all Aegypt At the losse whereof the Soldan of Aegypt with the Saracens in those parts were so astonished that they offered the Christians the possession of Ierusalem and the holy Land which the Christians so much contended for prouiding they would render vnto them againe the Towne of Damiata But the Earle of Artoys the kings brother puft vp with insolent pride would in no waies suffer the offers of the Saracens to be accepted but required also Alexandria the chiefe Metropolitan towne of Aegypt to be deliuered vnto them But soone after the Soldan of Aegypt beset them so stronglie both by Sea and Land that they were glad to craue againe the peace which was offered and could not obtaine it In the ende they were purposed to leaue a Garrison to keepe Damiata and to march out in battell themselues The Earle of Artoys through his insolent pride thinking all was his owne whensoeuer he gat any small aduantage of the enemie brought himselfe and all the armie to confusion for he passed ouer a shallow foord of Nilus which a certaine Saracen lately converted to Christ had made knowne and hauing in company with him the Master of the Temple and William Longspath with his companie of English souldiers and diuers others euen the third part of the armie set vpon the Saracens when they were not aware and did them great harme This victorie obtained he would needs goe forward deuiding himselfe from the maine Hoast and besieged the Castle and Village of Mansor But the Saracens finding him separated from the rest of the army compassed him about and destroyed him and all his company in so much that scarce one man escaped aliue except two Templars one Hospitular and one poore Souldier to bring newes thereof to the King After this the Souldan suddenly appeared with multitude of innumerable thousands against the King himselfe In this miserable conflict the King with his two brethren and a few that claue vnto him were taken captiues all the residue were put to the sword or else stood to the mercy of the Saracens whether to bee slaine or remaine in wofull captivity The Souldan after the captivity of the King fraudulently suborned an army of Saracens to the number of the French army with the armes and ensignes of them that were slaine and sent them toward Damiata where the Duke of Burgundie with the French Queene and Odo the Popes Legat and other Bishops and
So did the Saracens easily recover againe Ierusalem Here also is to be marked that the Popes of Rome who were too prodigall of Christian mens blood continually instigating them to lead armes to Asia for the recovery of the Holy Land yet did they esteeme so much of their owne glory that they preferred it to the Holy Land and the liues oâ— all the Christians that were in Asia as evidently appeareth in the doings of Bonifacius the 8. who had the fairest occasion offered to him of all others of recovering the Holy Land For Cassanus Prince of the Tartarians had conquered Syria from the Saracens and left Governours in it with expresse commandement that they should binde vp a covenant of friendship with the Princes of the West and get support from them for the keeping of Syria in the Christians possession But the Bishoppe of Rome puft vp with pride was so busie to tread vnder his feet the King of France that hee neglected this ocasion the like whereof was never offered in any time following And this negligent dealing was the cause why Capcacus made defection to the Souldan of Egypt CENTVRIE XIV Albertus the first AFter the slaughter of Adulph Albert the first Duke of Austria was made Emperour and raigned ten yeeres and in the end was killed by his Brothers sonne In his dayes sprang vp Otthoman the first King of the Turkes who being a conragious warriour by spoyles and robberies enriched himselfe and subdued a great part of Bythinia and of the countrey lying about Pontus Euxinus and tooke vpon him the name of a King to be called the King of the Turks Henricus the seventh NExt to Albert raigned Henrie the 7. A Prince wise iust honest and beloved of all men neither puft vp with pride in his prosperity neither deiected in mind for any kind of adversity After hee had pacified the countrey of Germany hee tooke his iourney toward Italy to reforme the abuses there but was hastily cut off by the wicked malice of the Florentines as is supposed for they hyred a certaine Monke to poyson the Emperour which thing hee performed and mixed poyson with the bread of the Eucharist wherewith the noble Emperour was impoysoned in the Castell of Bonconvent after hee had raigned foure yeeres and eight moneths Ludovicus the fift Lewis the fift was chosen Emperour after the death of Henry the 7. and raigned 32. yeeres Hee was Duke of Bavaria against whom others had elected Fredericus Pulcher Duke of Austria to be Emperour which was the ground of cruell warrs betwixt the two new chosen Emperours but Fredericke was vanquished in battell and taken prisoner himselfe During the time of these warres the burgesses of Vren Switz and Sylvania or Vnderwalden assisted Lewis of Bavaria and would not acknowledge the Emperour Fredericke Duke of Austria for which cause they were continually vexed by him so that at last they assembled themselues in the towne of Vrania and there entered into a mutuall league of perpetuall society amongst themselues To whom afterward were ioyned Lucernates then Tugani then the Tigurines then the Bernates The last almost of all were the Basilians after whom followed other seven pages who now by a generall name are called the Switzers or the Cantons or Pages of Helvetia The Emperour Lewis after hee had subdued his competitor fell into a greater trouble for hee was excommunicate by Pope Clement the sixt and the Princes Electors were commanded to choose another Emperor which commandement they also obeyed and assembled themselues at a certaine towne of the Diocie of Trevers called Bens and chose Charles the fourth sonne to Iohn King of Bohemia Carolus the fourth CArolus the fourth was chosen Emperour after that his predecessor Lewis was excommunicated by the Pope and raigned 32. yeeres In his time Amurathes the King of the Turkes passed over Hellespontus and tooke the townes of Cestus and Callipolis which was the first beginning of the conquest of Thracia and all other regions of Europe which are now subiect to the Turke This Charles procured at the hands of the Princes Electors that his sonne Vinceslaus should be proclaimed King of the Romans in his owne time Vinceslaus TO Charles the fourth succeeded his sonne Vinceslaus and raigned two and twenty yeeres A man very vnlike his father for hee was sluggish and carelesse more enclined to ryot excessiue drinking and voluptuous pleasures then to any princely vertue In his time Baiazeth King of the Turkes fought a cruell battell against the Christians at Nicopolis a towne of Thracia at the side of Ister and albeit many moe of the Turkes were slaine then of the Christians yet at length the Turkes prevailed against the Christians and put them to flight This is that King of the Turkes who afterward was overcome by Tamberlaine King of the Sythians and being inclosed in a cage of yron was carried about all Asia as a mocking stocke to men and as a spectacle of the wrath of God against all cruell Tyrants The Emperour Vinceslaus for his beastlines was depriued of his Emperiall dignitie by the Princes Electors and Rupertus Duke of Bauaria chosen to be Emperour in his steed In the East during the raigne of those foresaid Emperours ruled Andronicus the sonne of Michael Paleologus and after him Michael and after him Andronicus the younger after whom followed Ioannes Catecunzenus and Calo Ioannes and his sonne Manuellâ— these are all the things worthy of rememberance are left in writing CENTVRIE XV. Rupertus VIncesâ—aus the Emperour for his Cowardize vnhonest life was deposed Rupertus Duke of Bauaria was advanced to the Emperiall authoritie by the Electors of Germanic and ruled 10. yeeres This Emperour went vnto Italie against Galiatius of Millan but hee preuailed nothing In his time Mahomet the Turke when hee had killed his brother obtained alone the kingdome who after the death of Tamburlan the Tartarian recouering againe his fathers dominion vexed with extreme murther and slaughter the Bulgares and Vallaches and tooke the citie of Hadrianopolis which he made his Seat royall Sigismundus AFter Rupertus Sigismund sonne of Charles 4. and brother to Vinceslaus being King of Bohemie and Hungarie was ordained Emperour and reigned 27. yeares Hee was a prudent wittie learned and noble Prince but in warre and deeds of armes vnfortunate for hee was oftentimes ouercome and chased of the Turkes and other enemies By the procurement of this Emperour a great councell was holden at Constance for the vnion of the Church which continued for the space of 4. yeeres In this councell Iohn Husse was burned for preaching against the Bishop of Rome Also Hieronymus of Prague was condemned by the same councell and burned after whose burning in Bohemie was great tumult sedition and ciuill warre For the common people that fauoured Iohn Husse gathered together in great number and choosed a certaine valiant man named Zisca to be their Captaine a man verie witty and
and there incontinent killed Vlrick the Earle wounding him and cutting him in peeces The king hearing thereof although hee was not a litle discontented thereat in his mind yet seeing there was none other remedie hee dissembled his griefe for a time But afterward in his Progresse when hee came to Buda accompanied with the two sonnes of Huniades hee caused them both to be taken and cast into prison and Ladislaus forthwith was beheaded Mathias was carried Captiue to Austria to suffer the like punishment if the Lord had not prevented Ladislaus the king by suddē death who departed this life about the verie time appointed for the celebration of his marriage in Prague with Magdalen daughter to the King of Fraunce Thus the young king who hated the race of Huniades and more hated the light of the Gospell that shined in Bohemia and was of purpose as is supposed at his marriage to root out the sect of the Hussits as hee called it was timously in the mercie of God cut off himselfe to the great benefit of the true Church of God In this Emperours time suite was made by the Germanes to the Emperour that hee would prouide remedie against the actions of the insatiat Popes and that hee would not suffer his subiects in Germanie to bee exhausted and empourished by them The Emperour being moued and ouercome by their perswasion promised that hee would prouide no lesse for them then the king of Fraunce had done for the Frenchmen But the subtle perswasions of Aeneas Syluius did so bewitch the Emperour that he contemning the equall iust and necessarie requests of his subiects chosed the said Aeneas to be his Ambassadour to Calixtus newly chosen Pope to sweare vnto him in his name and to promise the absolut obedience of all Germanie Thus the Germans were derided and frustrate by Fredericke and the Emperour on the other part fearing least the Germanes after his death should transport the Empire to another familie caused his son Maximilian 7. yeeres before his death to be chosen and also crowned king of Romans and did associate him to the ministration of the Empire In this Emperours time likewise flourished a valiant man sonne of Iohn Castriotus Prince of Epirus and Albania called George who was giuen in hostage to the Turke with other two brethren But this George excelling all the rest of his equalls in strength of body vigour of minde and actiuitie in warfare was named by the Turkes Scanderbeius which soundeth as much as Alexander Magnus Hee was sent out by the Turkes to fight against Caramannus of Cilicia the Turkes enemie in which expedition hee behaued himselfe so manfully that hee wanne great renowne with the Turke insomuch that hee trusting to the Turkes fauour when hee heard of the death of his father durst aske of the Turke the grant of his fathers dominion to be giuen vnto him The which request although Amurathes did not deny vnto him yet notwithstanding hee perceiuing that the matter was dallied out with faire words by subtle meanes and policie slipt out of the Turkes Court and came to Epirus his owne inheritance where first by counterfeite letters hee recouered Croia The other cities of their owne voluntarie minde yeelded to him and hee so manfullie behaued himselfe that against all the force both of Amurathes and Mahomet he maintained his owne repulsed their violence and put to flight their armies many yeeres together In this Emperours time Mahomet the second tooke the Isle of Euboia and destroyed the towne of Calcis afterward hee commanded the Cittie of Athens to be razed and vtterly subverted and from thence returning his armie to Thracia with a mightie multitude compassed the towne of Constantinople both by sea and land in the yeere of our Lord. 1453. and in the 54. day of the sayd siege it was taken and sacked and the Emperour Constantinus slaine such terrible crueltie did they vse as the like is not often read of in any historie There was no corners in Constantinople which was not defiled with floodes of Christian blood so that in this one towne are reckoned to the number of fortie thousand persons that were slaine amongst whose dead bodyes the body of Constantine the Emperour was found whose head being brought to Mahomet he commaunded it to be carried vpon a speare through the whole Citie for a publike spectacle and derision to all the Turkish armie Also he tooke the Image of the Crucifixe being there in the high Temple of Sophia and writing this superscription vpon the head of it Hic est Christianorum Deus this is the God of the Christians caused it to be carried thorow all his armie and made every man to spit at it most contumeliously Thus was the noble citie of Constantinople sacked 1139. yeers after it was first built by Constantine the great now is made the Imperiall seat of the Turkish dominion Notwithstanding the proud heart of Mahomet which was so highly lift vp by the conquest of Constantinople was by the providence of God somewhat abated soone after For at the siege of Belgradum in Hungarie in the yeere 1436. hee was so manfully resisted by that worthie Governour Iohannes Huniades that hee was compelled after the losse of a great part of his army to the number of 40000. souldiers his owne person also being sore wounded to raise his siege and for feare and shame ready to kill himselfe In the East after Emanuel raigned Iohannes his sonne who was present at the Councell of Florence with Eugenius 4. Pope of Rome but lived not long after his returning And after his death because hee had no children his brother Constantine succeeded in whose time the town of Constantinople was pitifully destroyed and the Emperour himselfe slaine as hath beene declared And here is the end of the Empire of Christians in the East CENTVRIE XVI Maximilianus IN the yeare of our Lord 1486. Fredericus waxing aged and partly also mistrusting the hearts of the Germaines did in his life-time associate his sonne Maximilian to be ioyned Emperor with him with whom he reigned for the space of 7. yeers till the death of Fredericke his father after whose departure he reigned 25. yeers This Maximilian as he was a valiant Emperor prudent and singularly learned so was his raigne intangled in many vnquiet and difficult warres First in the lower Countries of Flanders and Brabant where he was taken captiue but worthily againe relieved by his father Hee had to wife Mary the onely daughter to the Duke of Burgundie by whom hee had two children Philip the father of Charles the fift and Margaret this Mary by a fall from her horse fell into an ague and died So happy was the education of the Emperor in good letters so expert hee was in tongues and sciences but especially such was his dexteritie and promptnesse in the Latine tongue that hee imitating the example of
the Prince of Condie was taken by the Guisians and on the other part the Constable was taken by the Protestants and the Marescall Sanctandreus was slaine The Duke of Guise after this battell renewed his Forces and besieged the Towne of Orleance where he was slaine by a Souldier called Portrot This slaughter was the ground of a new Peace for after the death of the Duke of Guise a new edict was made the thirteenth day of March Anno 1563. although not so ample as the edict of Ianuarie Yet by it some libertie was granted to the Protestants to enioy their owne Religion without disturbance of any This was the end of the first ciuill warre in France for Religion Maximilianus the second AFter the death of Ferdinand Maximilian his sonne King of Hungarie was made Emperour gouerned twelue yeares he gaue his two daughters in marriage vnto two puissant Princes to wit to Charles the ninth King of France he gaue Elizabeth and to Philip King of Spaine he gaue his eldest daughter Anna. Great troubles for Religion fell out in his time namely in the Low countries and in France In the low countries the number of them that professed the Gospell increased marueilously and on the other part the rage of the Popish Prelats causing the Spanish Inquisition to be severely executed wrought great feare in the hearts of the professours of the Gospell Also Duke de Albe was sent with a great Armie vnto the low Countries vtterly to extirpate and roote out the Gospell who behaued himselfe most outragiously against the Nobilitie and Townes of the low Countries in beheading Count Egmount and count Horne and permitting his souldiers to vse all kinde of villanie against honest matrons and the daughters of honest Citizens and oftentimes compelled the husbands themselues to stand beside and be eye witnesses of the vilde abusing of their owne wiues Also with so great severity he executed the Spanish Inquisitiō against the professours of the Gospell that the people were compelled to take armes vnder the conduct of William Nassaw Prince of Orange and Lodouicus his brother to defend their liues the libertie of their Countrie and of their Consciences against the barbarous tyrannie of this Duke and his armie In this Warre although the Prince of Orange was oftentimes defeated and his brother slaine yet the Countrey so abhorred the crueltie of Duke de Albe that the most part of Zeland and Holland was conquered by the Princes armie and was free from the tyrannie of the Spaniards In France the professours of the Gospell could not enioy the benefit of the Edict of pacification made in March Anno 1563. except in a few parts where the authoritie of some noble persons fauouring the Gospell procured obedience to the foresaid Edict as namely the presence of Condie in Picardie Andelot in Britannie and the Queene of Navarre in Gascoigne In other parts of the country little regard was had to the Edict The Cardinall of Loraine also a capitall enemie to the Gospell had consulted with the fathers of the Councell of Trent by what way the Gospell might be suppressed in France and it was thought meetest that a couenant should be made amongst them that fauoured the Catholique Religion which they called the holy league to extirpate and roote out them that professed the new Religion for so they named it and the two puissant Kings of Spaine and France in speciall should bee intreated to be of this league and mutually to helpe one another to roote out the Gospellers Now when King Charles the 9. was 14. yeares old and declared to be Maior it was thought meete that he should make a progresse through the bounds of his Dominions pretending that it was expedient that the King should know the estate of his Country and that he should heare the complaints of his people but the cause indeed of this progresse was that the King of France might meete with the King of Spain in Bayon for binding vp of the league aforesaid In this progresse was discharged all Preaching and exercising of the reformed Religion in the Townes of France wherein it should happen the King to be during the time of his progresse Also many new interpretations of the edict of March were invented and found out whereby the libertie granted to the Protestants was vtterly infringed and impunitie granted to them that should doe them wrong In the end the King came to Bayon where he met with his sister Elizabeth wife to Philip King of Spaine who after she had declared certaine causes why her husband could not be present himselfe bound vp in name of her husband a couenant with Charles King of Spaine mutually to helpe one another in rooting out the professours of the reformed Religion The report of this league was not kept so secret but it came to the eares of the Prince of Condie and the rest of the nobilitie of France that professed the Gospell who all thought meete that the Prince of Condie should in proper person addresse himselfe to the King being for the time at Moncellium and should exhibite to the King the supplication of the Protestants in France pittifully complaining that contrarie to the edict of March they were iniuried and cruelly slaine desiring redresse of the aforesaid iniuries and that they might haue libertie to enioy their Religion according to the act of pacification aboue mentioned But the King hearing of the Prince of Condies comming to him and namely because he was well accompanied with foure hundred men all in armes fearing the malignitie and obstinate malice of his adversaries left they should hinder his iourney or doe wrong to himselfe The King I say hearing tell of the Princes comming made hast to depart and with all expedition to Paris in great feare and caused the Parisians to giue thankes to God as though he had beene deliuered from a great perill and imminent danger After this without further delay the second warre for Religion in France broke vp The Prince of Condie approached with an armie to Paris and so beset it about in all quarters that this populous Towne soone began to be grieued for want of foode and issued out of the Towne vnder the Conduct of the Constable and came by S. Denis where the Prince of Condies armie lay In this Battell the Admirall set vpon the Parisian souldiers and disturbed their rankes and put them to flight The Constables troope also was greatly perturbed by their flying and the Constable himselfe refusing to be taken by M. Stewart was shot by a Scottish Souldier whereof hee soone after died The Constables sonnes Anveil and Momerance being carefull for their Father succoured him and the battell was renewed againe and cruelly fought vntill night compelled them to make an end The morrow after the Prince of Condie came with his Forces againe to the place where the battell was fought but none of the Parisians came forth to
consciences of their Church-men but prohibition of marriage which I haue prooued to be a doctrine of deuils cannot be referred to so ancient a beginning The Romane church desirous to be masked with a shewe of antiquitie they haue attributed Canons to the Apostles which are not found in their writings Yet it is a shame to the forgers of these canons to be found the principall impugners and transgressers of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say A Bishop elder or deacon who vnder pretence of religion putteth away his owne wife if he cast her off let him be excommunicated and if hee perseuere in so doing let him be deposed How can this constitution of Stephanus agree with the Canons of the Apostles Heere I appeale to the consciences of honest and vpright men if they finde not that the lie is not onely repugnant vnto the veritie but also vnto it selfe The supposititious Canons of the Apostles and the supposititious constitutions of Stephanus cannot both consist I know what they answere viz. that the Canons of the Apostles speake of those Bishops Elders and Deacons who had wiues when they were admitted to ecclesiasticall offices these should not put away their wiues vnder pretence of religion but concerning others who were vnmarried in the time of their admission the 25. Canon declareth otherwise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to vnmarried men who are promoted to the clergie we command that if they please they shall marrie but onely readers and singers to wit shall haue this priuiledge It is an vnsufferable thing to heare such leuitie and inconstancie imputed to the holy Apostles that they debarred no man from the office of a Bishop Elder or Deacon because he was a married man O but if any man enter vnmarried to be a Bishop Elder or Deacon then hee must not marrie If marriage had beene an vncleane thing it might haue debarred men from entering into holy offices but if it be a cleane thing it cannot exclude them after they haue entred The other decreet alledged out of Gratian dist 79. Oporrebat ut haec c. that by the constitution of Peter and his successors it was ordained that one of the Cardinall Elders or Deacons should be consecrated to be Bishop of Rome no other Such stiles of preheminence are vnknown to scripture and to the antiquitie of this time Xistus or Sixtus the 2. of that name and in number the 23. Bishop of Rome succeeded to Stephanus and gouerned 2. yeeres 10. months 23. dayes And Func Chron 11. yeeres such vncertaintie is in counting the yeeres of their administration The chaire of Rome through the vehemencie of persecution was vacant without a successour 1. yeere 11. months 15. dayes as Damasus granteth and Onuphrius the corrector of Platina cannot denie If the Bishop of Rome be the head of the Church then was the Church headlesse almost for the space of two yeeres To Xistus 2 succeeded Dionysius 24. Bishop of Rome and continued in his ministration 9. yeeres according to the computation of Eusebius Damasus assigneth vnto him 6. yeeres 2. months Marianus 6. yeeres and 5. months such certaintie is in the cheife and principall ground of the Romane faith concerning the succession of the Romane Bishops that scarse two writers doe agree in one minde concerning the time of their succession To Dionysius succeeded Felix 1. the 25. Bishop of Rome and gouerned 5. yeeres He liued in the dayes of Aurelian the 9. persecuter and obtained the honour of martyrdome In the three supposititious decretall epistles assigned to him the second epistle written to the Bishops of the Prouinces of France very sollicitously careth for Bishops that they be not accused by secular men but with so many caueats as in effect exempteth them from all accusation The language wherin the epistle is indited cannot agree with the ornat stile of the Latin tongue in this age he being a Romane borne as Platina writeth Post quam ipse ab â—s charitativè conventus fuerit Ad summos primates causa ejus canonicè defertur ConciliuÌ„ regulariter convocare debebunt c. The Galilean language manifested not more euidently that Peter was a man of Galile then the first of these 3. phrases manifesteth that the foresaid epistle was compiled in a time of great barbaritie Eutychianus the 26. Bishop of Rome followed after Felix 1. HeeÌ„ continued scarce ten months in his ministrie Caius the 27. Bishop of Rome succeeded to Eutychianus and continued 15. yeeres He liued in the dayes of the persecution of Dioclesian and lurked for a time in subterraneall places In the end he was found out by the persecuters and put to death and with his brother Gabinius and his brothers daughter Susanna suffered martyrdome Here it is to be marked that many martyrs died before the edict of horrible persecution was set forth in the 19. yeere of Dioclesians raigne For Marcellinus succeeded to Caius Anno 298. but the cruell edicts of persecution of Dioclesian were not set forth before the 308. yeere of our Lord. Whereby it appeareth euidently that many Christians were put to death before the edicts of horrible persecution were renued by the Emperour Dioclesian So hard was the outward estate of Christians that they were put to death vpon the warrant of the edicts of Valerian and Aurelian before the edicts of Dioclesian and Maximian came forth To Caius is attributed the constitution of ecclesiastical orders and degrees by which men must mount vp to the dignitie of a Bishop First he must be Ostiarius next Lector 3. Exorcista 4. Acoluthus 5. Subdiaconus 6. Diaconus 7. Presbyter and last of all Episcopus This order of ascending by degrees to the dignitie of a Bishop is confidently referred to the constitution of the Apostles but I say Beatus qui non credit that is happie is he who beleeueth it not Like as within scripture there is no lie so likewise without scripture there is no truth in matters of faith ordering of maners and appointing of ecclesiastical offices all that is necessarie is contained in the written Word of God But now to performe a part of that which I promised in the end of my treatise of Antiquitie and to let eueÌ„ry man see what vnlearned Asses they haue been who haue set foorth the fained decretall epistles of the fathers of this age In the epistle written by Caius to the Bishop Felix aboue-mentioned hee saith If any man of what dignitie so euer he be delate such persons viz. Bishops Elders Deacons for faultes that cannot bee proued let him vnderstand that by the authoritie of this constitution hee shall be counted infamous This constitution hath three parts First that no ecclesiasticall 1 person should be accused before a secular Iudge Secondly if any accusation be intended against Bishop Elder or Deacon it should be qualified by sufficient probation Thirdly if the accuser succumbe
that time to be a distinguishing note of true Christians from Manichean heretiques whose custome was vpon the Lords day to fast The purple garment the palace of Lateran the superioritie of the towne of Rome and gouernment of the West which honours some alledge were conferred by Constantine to Miltiades and Silvester is a fable not worthy of refutation all these honours the Emperours of the West successours of Constantine possessed not the Bishop of Rome for the space of many hundreth yeeres To Miltiades succeeded Silvester ministred 23. yeeres 10 months and 11. dayes In his time was the heretike Arrius excōmunicated by Alexander without the fore-knowledge of the B. of Rome It was enough that after excōmunication intimation was made to other bishops which duty the B. of Alexandria neglected not Learned men shold be ashamed of fables to say that Constantine was baptized by Siluester for Siluester was dead before Constantine was baptized And Platina himselfe is compelled to grant that Marcus the successor of Siluester gouerned the church of Rome in Constantines daies And Eusebius testifieth that Constantine was baptized in Nicomedia immediatly before his death Concerning the donatiō of Constantine wherein he conferreth the dōinion of the West to the B. of Rome it is like vnto a rotten egge which is cast out of the basket lest all the rest be set at the lesse auaile No ancient writer maketh mention of any such thing Yea Constantine in his testamentall legacie allotted the Dominion of the West to two of his sons namely to Constantinus yonger to Constans How then had he by an anterior disposition resigned these Dominiōs to the B. of Rome If Papists be not better countenanced by Antiquitie in other things then in this point they haue no great cause to bragge of Antiquitie To Siluester succeeded Marcus and ministred 2. yeeres 8. months and 20. dayes After Marcus Iulius gouerned the Roman church 15. yeeres Sozomenus attributes to Iulius 25. yeeres His ministratiō was in the daies of the Emp. Constantius his brethren He was a defēder of the true faith a citie of refuge to those who were persecuted by Arrians as namely to Athanasius B. of Alexandria Paulus B. of Constantinople Asclepas B. of Gaza Marcellus B. of Ancyra Lucius B. of Adrianopolis All these were vnjustly deposed from their offices by the Arrians had recourse to Iulius Hee was neither ashamed of the Gospell of Christ nor of his aflicted seruants In the councell of Sardica great honour was cōferred vnto him to wit that men vnjustly condemned by Arrians should haue refuge to Iulius to whom they gaue power of new againe to judge their cause This was an Act of the councell of Sardica not of the Nicene councell as was confidently alledged in the councell of Carthage and a personall honour conferred to one man alone for respectiue causes but not extended to his successours as though all the Bishops of Rome at all times should be Iudges of appellation The Arrians were sore grieued for this that Iulius both in word and deede and writ assisted Athanasius and his complices The chafing letters and mutuall expostulations that passed betwixt Iulius and the Arrians conueened in the Councell of Antiochia are to be read in the Historie of Socrates Platina in the grandoure of his speeches is inconsiderate as if Iulius had damned the presumption of the Orientall Bishoppes who durst conuocate an assemblie without licence before obtained from the Bishop of Rome Noe such thing is contained in the letter of Iulius but onely an expostulation that they did not aduertise him of their Councell to the ende hee might haue sent his Ambassadours and giuen vnto them his best aduise Iulius knewe the Constitutions of the Nicene Councell which gaue power to euery Patriarch within his owne boundes to conuocate Councels To Iulius succeeded Liberius and continued sixe yeeres some assigne vnto him eighteene yeeres others nineteene yeeres so vncertaine is the computation of the yeeres of their gouernment Hee gouerned the Church of Rome in the dayes of Constantius by whom also hee was banished to Thracia because hee would not consent to the deposition of Athanasius which point was seriously vrged in the Councell of Millane Theodoretus giueth ample testimonie of his constancie and freedome of speaking to the Emperour not disagreeing with his name before his banishment In his absence Foelix the second was chosen to be Bishop of Rome to whom Theodoretus giueth this praise that hee adhered firmely to the Nicene Councell but blameth him for this that he receiued his ordination from Arrians Notwithstanding he was more hated by the Arrians then was Liberius was put to death by them after he had gouerned one yeere foure months and two dayes After two yeeres banishment Liberius returned backe againe to Rome Theodoretus is silent in the matter of his praises after his returning Hilarius Bishop of Poitiers affirmeth that hee both consented to the deposition of Athanasius and to the councell of Sirmium There is nothing lacking now to giue out a determinate sentence whether or no the Bishop of Rome may erre in matters of Faith but onely the appearance of the great Aduocate of all euill causes Onuphrius who will needes finde out some olde partchment or some vnknowne manu-script to free the Chaire of Rome from all suspition of errour in matters of faith But Bellermine giues ouer his cause and can finde no sufficient Apologie for him because his letters written to the Emperour Constantius after his returning from banishment smels of Arrianisme After the death of Liberius succeeded Damasus and ruled 18. yeeres in time of the raigne of Iulian of Iouinian and of Valentinian his competitor Vrsinus had many fauourers in so much that the question who should be elected Bishop of Rome was tried by the sword rather then by reasons suffrages and votes so that in the Church of Sisinum were slaine to the number of 137. persons Damasus preuailed and had the vpper hand Hee was friendly to Peter Bishop of Alexandria whom Lucius an Arrian Bishoppe imprisoned but hee escaped and fled to Rome as Athanasius had done before in the dayes of Iulius He damned the Heresie of Apollinaris in a councel met at Rome His Epistle written to the Oriental Bishops wherein he intimates vnto them the condemnitory sentence pronounced and Apollinaris and his disciple Timotheus is indited with the swelling pride of a lofty minde breathing soueraignty and preheminence aboue all other Churches as if the Romane Church were that onely Apostolicke chaire whereunto all other Churches ought homage and reuerence So that Basilius Bishop of Casarea in Cappadocia complaines of the pride of the West because they cared onely for their owne preheminence but not for the estate of their persecuted brethren in the East vnder the Arrian Emperour Valens whose estate they knew not neither sent they
be gathered in Sardica wherein the cause of Athanasius was tryed and he found innocent and was sent backe againe and restoâ—ed to his place For Constantius feared the menacing letters of his brother Constans who threatned to leade an army to the East and to possesse Athanasius in his place againe if his brother lingred in doing of it After the death of Constans Sabinianus was sent to kill Athanasius but hee escaped miraculously as hath beene declared Againe hee was compelled first to flie and afterward to lurke in the dayes of Iulian. Hee was restored againe by the good Emperour Iovinian and he continued in his ministration vntill the dayes of Valentinian and Valens and although Valens was a cruell persecuter yet hee abstained from persecuting of Athanasius for honour of his gray haires and for that hee was reverently regarded of all men Thus Athanasius full of dayes died in peace after he had governed the Church of Alexandria 46. yeeres To worthy Athanasius succeeded Peter whom the Emperour Valens caused to be imprisoned and Lucius an Arrian Bishop to be seated in his roome Lucius was made Bishop of Alexandria against all kinde of Ecclesiasticall order neither did the people craue him nor the clergie of Alexandria approue him nor any Orthodox Bishoppe giue him ordination Peter escaped out of prison and fledde to Damasus Bishoppe of Rome Lucius like vnto a ravening wolfe not onely banished the Homousians out of Alexandria and Egypt but also that which was more insolent and never attempted before hee persecuted the Monkes who dwelt in solitary places of the wildernesse and banished them who had already banished themselues from all the delicate pleasures of the world But marke To what place could men be banished who inhabited the desert places of barren wildernesses Hee caused them especially Macarius and Isidorus to bee transported to an Isle wherein no Christians were to be found but onely Pagans and worshippers of divels When these prisoners of Christ approached neere vnto the Isle the divell left his old habitation to wit the mouth of the Image from whence he was accustomed to speake and hee possessed the Priestes daughter who ran vnâ—â— the shoare and cryed words not vnlike to those which were spoken to Paul and Silas in Philippi by the maide who had the spirit of divination and after this the divell left her lying vpon the ground as though shee had beene dead But the men of God by their supplications to God restored the young woman to health and delivered her to her father The Inhabitants of the Isle who saw the wonderfull works of God received the faith and were baptized in the Name of Christ. Lucius was so dashed with the fame of this wonderfull work and with the crying out of people against him that hee permitted the foresayd Monkes to returne backe againe to their owne places After Peter succeeded Timotheus for one cause worthie to be blamed because hee favoured the vsurpation of Maximus Cynicus who presumed without a lawfull calling to be Bishop of Constantinople And after him Theophilus succeeded whose attempts against Chrysostom I remit to the next Centurie Bishops of Antiochia IN Antiochia after Tyrannus succeeded Vitalius about the time that the rage of the tenth Persecution began to bee asswaged therefore hee re-edified a Church in Antiochia which had beene demolished in the time of the persecution of Dioclesian and his successor Philogonius perfected the building To whom succeeded Eustatius who was present at the Councell of Nice and was Moderator and mouth to all the rest Eusebius sometime Bishoppe of Berytus afterward Bishop of Nicodemia and last of all Bishop of Constantinople did insinuate himselfe in favour with the Emperour Constantine and obtained from him liberty to goe to Ierusalem and to visite the Temples that Constantine had lately builded in Bethlehem Ierusalem and vpon Mount Olivet To him resorted a number of Arrian Bishops who had all secretly conspired against Eustatius and subborned a vile woman to accuse him of whoredome The Arrians vpon the simple deposition of a woman subborned by themselues contrary to all kinde of order deposed Eustatius and perswaded the Emperour to banish him as a man convict both of adultery and of tyranny But the Lord layde his correcting hand vpon the woman whom the Arrians had suborned so that she dyed sore tormented with a grieuous sicknesse and confessed that money was given vnto her to accuse Eustatius and that shee had sworne deceitfully because the childe procreated with her was begotten by Eustatius a Smith of that name but not by Eustatius Bishop of Antiochia The Arrians in the dayes of Constantine had no great vpper hand except onely in the matter of Athanasius his banishment to Triere and in the deposition and banishment of Eustatius to Illyricum But in the dayes of Constantius they tooke boldnesse and planted Arrian Bishops in all principall places so that in Antiochia after Eustatius Eulalius Euphronius Placitus Leontius Eudoxiâ—s all these were Arrian Bishoppes placed by them in Antiochia In the end Meletius was ordained Bishop of Antiochia a man of great gifts whom the Arrians transported out of Sebastia in Armenia and placed him in Antiochia supposing that by his excellent learning many should be allured to their opinion but it fell out farre otherwise for Meletius professed the true faith Onely the reproueable forme of his entrie by receiving ordination from Arrian Bishops was the ground of remedilesse schismes in the Church of Antiochia There had been already two factions in the towne to wit Arrians and Eustatians now the third faction is added of them who were called Meletians with whom Eustatians did not communicate but abhorred them as they did the Arrians This schisme indured after the death of Meletius for the space of fourscore and fiue yeeres Meletius was banished in the dayes of Constantius and Euzoius an Arrian Bishoppe placed in his roome Hee was restored againe by Iulian onely for desire he had to vndoe things done by Constantius and to bring his name to disgrace Likewise vnder the raigne of the Emperour Valens hee was banished the second time Hee governed the Church of Antiochia fiue and twenty yeeres and dyed in Constantinople immediatly after the second generall Councell and was carryed to Antiochia to be buried there The ordination of Paulinus to be Bishoppe of Antiochia Meletius being yet aliue was the foolish fact of Lucifer Bishop of Calaris in the Isle of Sardinia Hee was restored from banishment in the dayes of Iulian. and tooke purpose accompanied with Eusebius Bishop of Vercellis in Liguria who was likewise restored at that same time to visit the estate of their brethren Eusebius addresseth himselfe to Alexandria and conferred with Athanasius But Lucifer went to Antiochia where he found miserable distractions euen amongst those who professed one and the selfe same Faith When exhortation to vnity could prevaile
therefore he was banished by the Emp. Valentinian the third and his goods were appointed to goe to the vse of the Church Bassus after his banishment desired to be receiued againe in fauour with Sixtus but his petition was reiected as if he had sinned against the holy Ghost Notwithstanding the flatterers of the chaire of Rome writeth that Sixtus buried Bassus his accuser with his owne hands which seemeth to be repugnant to his vnmerciful forme of dealing in his life-time After Sixtus Leo a deacon in Rome and absent out of the towne was chosen the bishop of Rome and ruled 21. yeeres 1. month 13. daies he stirred vp the Emperour Theodosius 2. to appoint a councell for suppressing the error of Eutyches wherein it was rather coÌ„firmed than suppressed by the craft of Dioscorus B of Alexandria whereof I shall speake hereafter God willing how Eutyches was coÌ„demned in the councel of Chalcedon vnder the raigne of Martianus His wisdome and eloquence in mitigating the surie of Attila hath beene handled in the preceding historie Amongst his constitutions none is more commendable then his constitution against ambitious men who presume continually to high places Hee ordained that they should be depriued both of the higher and the lower place of the lower place for their pride because they had proudly despised it of the higher because they had auaritiously suted it In discipline nothing is better than to beare downe those place mongers whereby it commeth to passe that prerogatiue of place is referred to prerogatiue of gift Hilarius followed and continued seuen yeeres three months ten dayes To whom succeeded Simplicius and continued fifteene yeeres one month and seuen dayes Foelix the third was the successor of Simplicius and continued eight yeers eleuen months and seuenteene dayes Hee gouerned the Church of Rome in the time of the Emperour Zeno and in the time when Odoacer and Theodoricus contended for the superioritie of Italie hee was nothing inferiour to his antecessors in zeale to aduance the Supremacie of the Romane Chayre for hee excommunicated Acatius Bishop of Constantinople because he craued not his aduise in receiuing Pâ—trus Moggus in fauour like as hee had craued his aduise at the first when he excommunicated him This Petrus Moggus was an Eutychian heretike and was iustly excommunicated by Acatius who vsed the aduise of Foelix Bishop of Rome in excoÌ„municating him But when Petrus Moggus testified his repentance by his supplicant bill containing the recantatioÌ„ of his error Acatius absolued him This grieued the proud stomacke of Foelix because his aduise was not craued in all things Therefore he excommunicated Acatius as is said Acatius little regarding the pride of the Romane Bishop gaue to Foelix an hard meeting for he both excommunicated Foelix and razed his name out of the roll of Bishops Ambition was the first great cancker-worme that consumed defaced the beautie of the Church of Rome Gelasius the successor of Foelix an Africane borne ruled foure yeeres eight months and seuenteene dayes The estate of Italie was so troubled by the incursions of barbarous people that the manners of the people were altogether dissolute for hee ministred in the last yeere of Theodoricus King of Italie therefore hee endeuoured to establish discipline in the Church hee claimed superioritie ouer all Churches more manifestly than any of his predecessors had done for he affirmed that the Church of Rome should iudge all Churches and should bee iudged by no Church and that the right of Appellation to the Bishop of Rome from all parts in the world was not a supposititious act of the Nicene Councell as the Councell of Carthage had determined but that it was authentike a Right giuen by them indeed to the Roman Church neither would h e be reconciled with the Orientall Bishops in any case except they would first allow the excommunication of Acatius and raze his name out of the roll of Bishops Platina writeth that hee did excommunicate the Emperour Anastatius a fauourer of the Eutychian heresie but this example once begun was practised in most prodigall maner by the Bishops of Rome against Emperours who maintained no heresie Patriarches of Constantinople IOhn Chrysostome succeeded to Nectarius in the dayes of Arcadius and Honorius hee had beene an helper to Flavianus Bishop of Antioch from whence hee was transported by the authoritie of the Emperour Arcadius and ordained Bishop of Constantinople sore against the hearts of the people of Antiochia In Oratory he had profited in the school of Libanius in Philosophie in the schoole of Andragathius beyond his fellowes His libertie in reproouing of sin both in Court and Clergie procured against him the hatred of Eudoxia the Empresse and hatred of the Clergie who could not suffer their corrupt maners to be reformed Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria was opposed to Chrysostome from the verie first time of his ordination for hee endeuoured to haue Isidorus a Monke brought vp in the wildernes of Schethis and afterward a Presbyter in Alexandria to bee seated in Constantinople but when his plotted course failed he became an enemie to Chrysostome and gladly embraced all occasions whereby he might procure his deposition how he was iustly deposed banished and iourneyed to death by the malice of Eudoxia and Theophilus it hath beene sufficiently declared in the preceding historie Other things God willing shall be handled in the description of the life of Theophilus Chrysostome gouerned the Church of Constantinople 7. yeeres After Chrysostome Arsatius the brother of Nectarius an aged man for he was fourescore yeere old sate in Constantinople scarce 2. yeeres Atticus the successor of Arsatius sate 21. yeeres He was admitted to this office in the time of the minoritie of Theodosius the second at what time Anthemius his counseller a man in wisdome inferiour to none who liued in his time gouerned the affaires of the Kingdome Atticus was not vnlearned he was godly and prudent he inserted the name of Chrysostome into the roll of Bishops and in the publike Liturgie made an honourable commemoration of his name and perswaded Cyrillus Bishop of Alexandria to doe the like Socrates affirmeth that God by his ministrie wrought miraculous workes and that a Ievve sicke of the Palsie was baptized by him in the Name of Iesus and immediatly after Baptisme was healed of his disease In staying the progresse of superstition wherein people euen at this time were enclined hee carried himselfe prudently for some of the people of Constantinople resorted to the sepulcher of Sabbatius to pray and to doe some worship to the defunct but Attâ—â—us caused his body in the night season to be raised and to be buried in another place vnknowne to the foresaid superstitious people and so they left off their resorting to the sepulchre of Sabbatius Sisinnius after Atticus ministred 2. yeeres Nestorius followed him in office but his name
is to be reade in the catalogue of heretikes Next to Nestorâ—us was Maximianus who continued not aboue 2. yeeres and 5. months To whom succeeded Proclus and continued 12. yeeres Flaâ—ianus after Proclus gouerned that sea in the dayes of Theodosius the second a faithfull man in his calling but scarcely did he complete 2. yeeres in his Bishopricke Hee deposed and excommunicated Eutyches an Abbot in Constantinople the authour of a pernitious heresie Hee was cruellie troden vnder foot in the second councell of Ephesuâ— called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a councell of brigandrie Dioscorus Bishop of Alexandria in that councell fauoured the opinion of Eâ—tyches and by tumultuary dealing so oppressed Flavianus that he procured his death They who attribute too much to the authoritie of Councels let them fasten their eyes vpon this councell and learne that possibly councels may erre and that Patriarches such as Dioscorus was may erre euen in matters of faith To Flaâ—ianus succeeded Anatolius and gouerned eight yeeres And after him Gennadius thirteene yeeres Acatius the successor of Gennadius gouerned seuenteene yeeres vnder the Emperour Zeâ—o Hee gaue a good proofe of his constancie in the true faith at that time when Basiliscus who draue Zeno from his Kingdome condemned the Councel of Chalcedon and compelled bishops to subscribe to the errour of Eutyches The great dissention that fell out bewixt him and the Roman Bishops for Petrus Moggus Bishop of Alexandria and Petrus Cnapheus Bishop of Antiochia it was not for coÌ„municating with them before they renounced their errour as some learned men doe affirme but for plaine emulation such as was of old betwixt Pompeius and Caesar the one could not abide a coÌ„panion the other could not abide a superior The Roman Church manifestly coÌ„tended for superiority the Church of Constantinople on the other part perceiuing what aduantage the Roman bishops tooke of this that their counsel was craued they left off the doing of it And this moued the proud stomacke of Gelasius after the death of Acatius to burst out in these arrogant words that the church of Rome had power to iudge of all other churches but no church had power to iudge of the church of Rome yea and Platina a late writer groundeth the supremacie of the B. of Rome vpoÌ„ this that Acatius B. of ConstaÌ„tinople wrote vnto him to damne the heretical opinion of Peâ—rus Moggus B. of Alexandria albeit the faith of Peter was grounded vpoÌ„ a sure rocke yet the supremacie of the Roman Bishops is grounded only vpon such sandie ground as Platina and other flatterers of the Romane chaire doe cast out in their writings After Acatius succeeded Phrauitas otherwise called Flauitas and continued scarse 4. months some thinke that God in wrath shortned his dayes because that by vnlawfull meanes hee attained to that dignitie to be Bishop of Constantinople The Synodicke letter of Petrus Moggus Bishop of Alexandria written to Flauitas and pondered by his successor Euphâ—mius wherein Petrus Moggus accurseth the councell of Chalcedon it will clearely prooue inconstancie in Petrus Moggus but not a fault in Acatius for many are like vnto dogs who returne vnto their vomite againe and this blame must rest in the bosome of fickle and vnconstant men and not in the bosome of honest men who are deceiued by them Euphemius succeeded to Flauitas and gouerned vnder the raigne of Zeno and Anastatius and would not complete the ceremonies of the inauguration of Anastatius vntill the time that by his oath and hand-writ hee promised to be a defender of the true faith and of the actes of the councell of Chalcedon The hand-writ Anastatius craued to be deliuered backe againe to him which when he could not obtaine Euphemius was compelled to flie for safetie of his life When he pondered the Synodicke letter of Petrus Moggus he abhorâ—ed his name inserted against the name of Fâ—â—lix B. of Rome into the catalogue of Bishops which was razed and cancelled by Acatius one of his predecessors Patriarchs of Alexandria THeophilus ministred in Alexandria in the dayes of Theodosius and of his sonnes Arcadius and Honorius a man both reproovable in his life and inconstant in his faith Hee sent Isidorus a Monke to Rome there to lurke secretly and to expect the event of the battell that was to bee sought betwixt Theodosius Maximus and to congratulate the victor When hee returned from Rome hee endevoured to promote him to the Bishopricke of Constantinople but Iohn Chrysostome was preferred before him After this hee cannot keepe friendship with Isidorus whom he intended once to haue preferred but vpon a light occasion cast him off and excommunicated him because hee would not deliver to him the mony left in testamental legacie to be distributed to the poore This money which Theophilus sister had left to the vse aforesayd Theophilus craved that it might be put in his hands to be imployed to building and repairing of Churches But Isidorus answered that the money put in his custodie should bee bestowed according to the will of the defunct And that it was a worke more acceptable to God to support the poore who are the living temples of God then to build olde and ruinous walles Therefore Theophilus hated and excommunicated Isidorus for this cause Isidorus left Alexandria and addressed himselfe to the wildernesse of Schethis where hee complained to Ammonius Dioscorus Eusebius and Enthymius called Long fâ—atres of the iniury that Theophilus had done vnto him who intreated Theophilus to receiue Isidorus in favour againe and to admit him to his communion but Theophilus gaue vnto them an evill reward for their travels for hee hated them and finding that there were diverse opinions amongst the Monkes of Nitria and Schethis hee put fuell to the fire to the end that diversity of affection might bee added to diversity of opinion a man in all his courses malicious and deceitfull Longifratres fled to Constantinople to complaine to the Emperour Arcadius of the malice of Theophilus and they were humanely and courteously received by Chrisostome but not admitted to the participation of the holy mysteries vntill their cause had beene first iudged To the rest of the Monkes who dwelt in Nitria and Schethis the malice of Theophilus was not vnknowne And fiue hundred of them especially such as were Anthropomorphite came from the wildernesse of Nitria with intention to haue slaine Theophilus but hee met them and with gentle and flattering words lenified their anger for he said vnto them Brethren I see your faces as the face of God They tooke his words in this sense as if hee had sayd that God was fashioned according to the likenesse of a mans body Therefore they desired him to abiure the doctrine of Origen which thing hee willingly did for he hated the bookes of Origen and so he escaped the danger The next practice of his malice was
against Iohn Chrysostome Bishop of Constantinople whom he hated because he had received and courteously intreated Isidorus and Longifratres who came to Constantinople with intention to accuse him In this matter hee dealt deceitfully like vnto a crafty foxe lying in waite vntill hee found occasion to set on First hee reconciled himselfe to Epiphanius Bishop of Salamin in Cyprus and mooved him to gather a Councell in Cyprus for damning the bookes of Origen and to write to Iohn Chrysostome that he would do the like in his bounds but Chrysostome tooke little regard of the counsell of Epiphanius other things were more necessarie then to trouble the memoriall of a man that was dead long agoe Theophilus was glad to haue this advantage that Epiphanius a man of great account was on his side and so soone as hee found that Eâ—doxia the Emperor Arcadius wife with Courteours and some of the Clergie were incensed against Chrysostome hee was in readinesse as a firebrand of Satan to execute all evill turnes So the man of God as hath beene declared was deposed banished and vniustly put to death by Eudoxia and Theophilus two chiefe procurers of it Cyrillus the nephew of Theophilus on his brothers side succeeded to Theophilus and governed two and thirty yeers A man learned zealous and actiue his ministration was vnder the raignes of Theodosius the second and Valentinian the third Hee was an adversary to Heretiques in his dayes especially to Nestorius Bishop of Constantinople who denyed the personall vnion of the divine and humane Nature in Christ whose opinion as hereticall was damned in the Councell of Ephesus Cyrillus tooke too much vpon him for hee revenged the iniury that the Iewes had done vnto Christians in the night time by setting vpon their Synagogues slaying a great number of them banishing others and distributing their substance as a prey to the multitude that followed him The Iewes had dwelt in Alexandria from the dayes of Alexander the Great to that time but now by the fury of Cyrillus they were vtterly vndone and scattered Orestes the Deputy of Theodosius the second was in the towne to whom Cyrillus would not complaine of the iniury done by the Iewes against the Christians but at his owne hand vsurping the office of a civill Magistrate hee set vpon the Iewes slew scattered and spoyled them as hath beene aboue mentioned This was the ground of vnsupportable discord betwixt Orestes and Cyrillus in so much that fiue hundred Monkes of Nitria came out of the wildernesse to Alexandria to support Cyrillus their Bishop One of them called Ammonius wounded the Governour Orestes and when he was taken and punished vnto the death Cyrillus called him a Martyr buried him in the Church changed his name and called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is admirable The Romane Bishoppes claimed a superiority over their brethren but Cyrillus Bishop of Alexandria plainely pretended a superiority over civill Magistrates This mooued Socrates writing of Coelestinus the first to say that the Bishops of Rome and Alexandria had stepped beyond the limits of Priesthood to the affectation of an externall domination The Bishops of Rome kept their owne pride and borrowed from Alexandria a proud vsurpation of domination over civill Magistrats but the wise providence and provident wisedome of our God would haue the mouthes of the Bishops of Rome opened to condemne that civill domination which their successors afterward most proudly vsurped Marke what Gelasius writeth that before the comming of Christ some persons such as Melchisedecke were both Kings and Priests This saith hee Satan imitating in his members would haue Pagan Emperours to be called Pontifices maximi Imperatores but when he came who was indeed both King and Priest to wit Christ neither did the King take vpon him the priestly dignity neither the Priest kingly authority Dioscorus who succeeded Cyrillus his name is to reade in the catalogue of Heretiques but Proterius was the true successour in regard hee kept the true Faith but hee was cruelly slaine by the favourers of Diâ—scorus immediately after the death of the Emperour Martianus Timotheus Salophaciolus governed as Bishop in Alexandria 23. yeeres six moneths in the dayes of Zenâ— and Basiliscus Albeit Basiliscus advanced another Timotheus surnamed Aelurus to be Bishop of Alexandria yet when Zeno was restored to his soverainty againe Salophaciolus received his place againe After Timotheus Salophaciolus followed Iohannes Tabennesiota whom the Emperour Zeno iustly hated for his periury for hee came Ambassador to the Emperour and craued that when their Bishop were dead the Church of Alexandria might haue liberty to choose their owne Bishop the Emperour suspected that hee was ambitiously suting the place to himselfe and therefore did binde him with an oath that when the place should happen to be voyd hee should make no meanes to possesse himselfe of that roome but hee did the contrary and accepted the place therefore the Emperour Zeno banished him hee fled to Felix Bishop of Rome who being mis-informed by Iohannes Tabennesiota made him to thinke that hee was persecuted for the true Faith as Athanasius was who fledde to Iulius Bishoppe of Rome but the Emperours letter assured him of the contrarie that hee was banished for periurie Petrus Moggus who followed is to bee reckoned in an other Catalogue Patriarchs of Antiochia TO Flavius in Antiochia succeeded Porphyrius whose ordination was more secret then becomes the ordination of Bishoppes to bee in absence of the people when they were delighting themselues with the sight of Stage-playes in Daphne Hee consented to the deposition of Iohn Chrysostome No man whom I haue read maketh reverent record of him except Theodoretus who possibly doth not examine him narrowly but for the dignitie of his place letteth him passe with a note of commendation After Porphyrius succeeded Alexander a man much commended by Theodoretus for eloquence but more for peace for hee was not onely an instrument to quiet the estate of his owne Church of Antiochia but also to quiet the estate of other Churches he was the first who inserted the name of Iohn Chrysostome into the catalogue of holy Bishops and perswaded others to doe the same Theodotus was his successor foure yeeres of whom little is written To Theodotus succeeded Iohannes Grammaticus and ministred eighteene yeeres In his time the Councell of Ephesus was assembled by Theodosius the second and Valentinian the third In it there was a pitifull distraction betwixt Iohn Bishop of Antiochia and Cyrillus Bishop of Alexandria for a light cause Not because Iohn Bishop of Alexandria favoured the heresie of Nestorius but in respect hee gaue out definitiue sentence before the full number of his brethren were assembled together This dissention was afterward reconciled and Iohannes sent to Cyrillus Paulus Emisenus and craved his friendshippe and was reconciled vnto him Domnus the successour of Iohannes was an vnconstant man Hee consented to the
from Paganisme and Arrianisme whereby it was miserably polluted by the Gothes and Vandales was a man of great account Concerning Aurelius and the Bishops of Carthage Memnon and the Bishops of Ephesus some occasion will be offered to speake of them in the head of Councels neither will the nature of a Compend and breuitie whereunto I study permit me to write of euery worthie man of whom I read in this Centurie CENTVRIE VI. Patriarches of Rome TO Gelasius succeeded Anastatius the second and gouerned 1. yeere 2. months 24. dayes hee ministred in the dayes of the Emperour Anastatius hee was hated of the Clergie because he admitted to his fellowship Photinus a Deacon whom Foelix and Gelasius had excommunicated as a friend to Acatius Bishop of Constantinople Platina writeth of him that he ended his life as Arrius did and that his bowells gushed out when he was doing his secret busines The verie flatterers of the Bishops of Rome are compelled to say that some of them were fauorers of heretikes and for that cause punished by God with extraordinarie iudgements but I ground nothing vpon the words of Platina but so much as maketh against theÌ„ whom he intendeth to flatter To Anastatius succeeded Symmachus in the dayes of the Emperour Anastatius and when Theodoricus king of Gothes raigned in Italie great sedition was among the people at his election The one part of the Clergie people chusing Symmachus the other Laurentius to be Bishop of Rome but with common consent a Synod was appointed at Ravenna and there the election of Symmachus was ratified hee continued in office 15 yeeres 6 months 22. dayes Hormâ—sda the successor of Symmachus sate 9. yeeres 18. dayes who by coÌ„mandement of Theodoricus king of Gothes and raigning in Italie gathered a councell at Rome and damned the error of Eutyches of new againe Likewise Ambassadors were sent to the Emp. Anastatius and to Iohn B. of Constantinople to exhort them to forsake the wicked error of Eutyches to acknowledge two natures in Christ to wit the diuine and humane nature But Anastatius answered with proud words Nos imperare volumus nobis imperari nolumus That is we will command but wee will not be commanded Likewise the B. of Constantinople puft vp in pride by the assistance of the Emp. despised the counsell of Hermisda Moreouer against the law of nation they delt in humanlie with the Ambassadors of Hormisda and thrust them into an old and broken ship with straite commandement that they should not arriue at any harbour in Grecia but kept a direct course toward Italy Notwithstanding by the prouidence of God that ship arriued safely at the coasts of Italie The error of the Manicheans began againe to be ouerspread in Rome But Hormisda tooke their bookes and burnt them in the porch of the Church called Constantina Iohn the first gouerned the church of Rome in the dayes of Iustinus the elder to whom also he was sent Ambassador by Theodoricus to craue that the Arrian Byshops whom hee had banished out of his dominions might be restored to their places againe else the catholick Bishops of Italy should expect all kind of rigor at his hands The B. Iohn with many teares perswaded the Emperour Iustinus to condiscend vnto the petition of Theodoricus Neuerthelesse when he returned backe againe to Italy he was cast into prison where he ended his life after he had gouerned the church of Rome 2. yeeres 8. months Foelix 4. the successor of Iohn 1. coÌ„tinued in office 4. yeeres 2. months 13. daies he excommunicated Athanasius Patriarch of Constantinople for heresie hee ordained that Christians before their departure out of this life should be annointed with oyle This custome is now kept in the Roman church and is called the Sacrament of extreme vnction Foelix 4 succeeded Bonifacius 2. whom the Graecians called Agathon but both names soundeth to one and the selfe same thing The schisme that was among the people at his election ceased by the death of his coÌ„petitor Dâ—seâ—â—uâ— he ministred 2. yeeres 2. daies In his time Eulalius B. of Carthage submitted himself vnto the chaire of Rome wherupon BoÌ„ifacius tooke occasioÌ„ of insolent insulting in so far that he is not ashaÌ„cd to writ of Aurelius B. of Carthage August B. of Hippo of the rest of the fathers who were preseÌ„t at the 6 couÌ„cel of Carthage that through the instigatioÌ„ of the deuil they swelled in pride against the Roman church against his predecessors Bonifacius 1. Coelestinus whoÌ„ his predecessors most iustly had excoÌ„municated but now saith he Eulalius hath coÌ„fessed the fault of Aurelius of the couÌ„cel of Carthage submitted himself in humble maner to the chaire of Rome therefore he the church of Carthage are receiued againe vnto peace coÌ„munioÌ„ of the Roman church Marke here how they who would impaire a iot of that supreÌ„acy whereat the church of Rome aimed were forthwith deliuered to the deuil how holy modest learned so euer they had bin a vain timorous beastly body Eulalius is preferred to Aurelius B. of Carthage to Aug. B. of Hippo to a graue couÌ„cel of mothaÌ„ 200. fathers only for this that he submitted himself to the chair of Rome The time is now approching wherein it wil be clearely maÌ„ifested that supremacy was the very aple of their eye touch that once there is nothing but curses to be thuÌ„dred out of mount Tarpeius euen against August himself against reuerent couÌ„cils Iohn 2. was successor to Bonifacius he ministred in the time of the Emperour Iustinian 2. yeeres 4. months he was called for his eloquence Mercurius or nuntius Iovis Agapetus the successor of Iohn 2. vâ—der the raigne of IustiniaÌ„ had scarcely liberty to attend vpoÌ„ his own flocke for immediatly after he was ordained B. of Rome he was sent to the Emp. IustiniaÌ„ by Theodatus king of the Gothes to pacifie his wrath for the Emp. intended to make war against him for the cruell slaughter of Amalasunta his wife this was an vnhonest cause an vnseemely message to the B. of Rome to vndertake It is affirmed by Historiographers that Iustinian secretly sollicited Agapetus to the error of Eutyches that Agapetus answered vnto him couragiously that hee supposed hee was sent to a most ChristiaÌ„ Emperour but he found him to be Dioclesian This liberty is thought to haue done good to Iustinian and that hee imbraced the true Faith more seriously then before and deposed Anthemius Bishop of Constantinople an Eutychian Heretique and placed Menas a Bishop professing the true Faith in his roome Afterwards Agapetus died at Constantinople after hee had beene chosen Bishoppe of Rome eleven monethes and one and twentie dayes and his bodie was put into a chest of leade and transported to Rome Silverius the son of Hormisda sometime Bishop of Rome was successor to Agapetus Theodatus
contended mightily euen as Lactantius of olde contended against the Pagans impugning the errour more mightily than solidly confirming the truth It is supposed that he ministred 13. yeeres vnder the Emperour Mauritius To whom succeeded Cyriacus Patriarchs of Alexandria AFter Iohn called Tabennesiota succeeded another Iohn who kept the true faith was banished by Anastatius because he would not damme the Councell of Chalcedone To Iohn succeeded Theodosius an obstinate defender of the errour of Eutiches He was familiarly acquainted with Seuerus of Antiochia and Anthimus of Constantinople whereby the misery of these dayes may be easily esâ—ied wherein three notable heretiques gouerned principall Townes such as Constantinople Alexandria and Antiochia He was so obstinate in his errour that he was rather content to be banished vnder the raigne of Iustinian than to renounce his errour After him succeeded Zoilus and after him Apollinarius who was present at the fift generall Councell To whom succeeded Eulogius and after him Petrus who ministred vnder the raigne of Mauritius Patriarches of Antiochia AFter Palladius succeeded Flavianus who suffered great troubles for the true faith namely by the cruell persecution of the Emperour Anastatius and the calumnies of Xenaeas B. of Hierapolis a stranger indeed from the couenant of God as his name importeth for he blamed Flavianus most vniustly of the heresie of Nestorius but when Flavianus both by word writing had cleared himselfe of that calumnie the malice of Xenaeas ceased not for he brought with him to Antiochia a great number of Monkes to compell Flavianus to abiure the Councell of Chalcedon The towne supported their Bishop against a raskall number of seditious and hereticall Monkes Notwithstanding the Emperour Anastatius infected with the heresie of Eutyches counted Flavianus who was most vniustly persecuted to be the author of this tumult and banished him and placed Severus in his roome The Emperour Iustinus the elder displaced Severus and punished him and appointed Paulus to be Bishop of Antiochia To Paulus succeeded Euphraesius who died in that fearefull calamitie of the Towne of Antiochia when it was shaken and ouerthrowne with earthquake as Evagrius witnesseth Euphraimius was a ciuill gouernour in the East parts who pittied the decayed estate of the towne of Antiochia and furnished all necessarie things for the repairing of the towne of Antiochia for which cause the people were so affectioned to him that they would haue him to be their Bishop So Euphraimius becomes Bishop of Antiochia or Theopolis for at this time it had both these names Evagrius writeth that he vndertooke the charge of the Apostolicke chaire in which words it is manifest that not onely the chaire of Rome but also the chaire of Antiochia was called the Apostolicke chaire The towne of Antiochia at this time was taken by Cosroes King of Persia set on fire and many of the people were cruelly slaine Euphraimius their Bishop at this time left the towne a perilous example except the people had beene in safetie and he onely persecuted yet he left behinde him so much as might redeeme all the Church goods After Euphraimius followed Domnius And after him Anastatius He ministred vnder the Emperour Iustinian at what time the Emperour fell into the errour of them who saide that our Lord Iesus in his very conception adioyned vnto his diuine nature an immortall body which was subiect to no humane infirmities Anastatius opposed himselfe to the Emperours opinion and the Bishops followed Anastatius and not the Emperour for this cause Iustinian was purposed to haue banished him but he escaped this trouble by the Emperours death Neuerthelesse he was banished by Iustinus the younger for some alledged cause of dilapidation of Church goods and Gregorius was placed in his roome Gregorius ministred in Antiochia 23. yeeres vnder Iustinius 2. Tiberius and Mauritius he was in great account with Mauritius to whom he foretolde that he would be promoted to the Imperiall dignitie And Mauritius imployed him in great and waghtie businesse such as in pacifying the tumult of his armie which made insurrection against Germanus their captaine Also he sent him Ambassadour to Cosroes King of Persia who was astonied at the grace that was in his speeches Notwithstanding he was accused by Asterius a Deputy of the East of the filthie sinne of incest but he cleared his owne innocencie so euidently that his accuser was with ignâ—minie scourged and banished He died of the gowtes infirmitie and after his death Anastatius whom Iustinus banished for dilapidation of Church-goods being yet aliue was restored to his owne place againe To whom succeeded Euphemius Patriarches of Ierusalem AFter Martyrius succeeded Helias a feruent defender of the true faith Neither would he condescend to the banishment of Euphemius Bishop of Constantinople nor to the admission of Seuerus to be Bishop of Antiochia therefore the Emperour Anastatius banished him To him succeeded Iohn of whose politicke dealing in circumueening Anastatius the Emperours captaine I haue sufficiently declared in the preceding history To Iohn succeeded Peter and after him Macarius and after Macarius Eustochius who impugned the Bookes of Origen and draue out of his bounds the Monks of Nova Laura defenders of the opinions of Origen Theodorus Ascidas B. of Caesarea in Cappadocia tooke this in an euill part The Emperour Iustinian caused a generall Councell to be gathered at Constantinople wherein not onely the bookes of Origen were damned but also Theodorus himselfe the defender of them This displeased the Emperour Iustinian because he loued Theodorus dearely therefore he procured that Eustochius B. of Ierusalem should be remooued and Macarius restored againe After whom succeeded Iohannes Neamus and Isicius In this Centurie whereas I pretermit the names of other Pastors and Doctors in the Church I haue done it vpon this consideration I find in this Centurie that by the irruption of barbarous people such as the Gothes Vandales Hunnes Auares Schythians Lombards youth was hindred from studies many memorable bookes were burnt ancient Languages were vtterly spoyled learning was greatly diminished flattery of preuailing powers increased ambition in the West heresie in the East turned the estate of the Church vpside-downe so that scarcely could men of good gifts and keeping integritie of faith be furnished vnto the principall Apostolicke chaires Now after a manner the sunne is going downe the shadowes waxe great the darkenesse approacheth the Antichrist is at the doore worthy to be welcommed with darkenesse and decay of knowledge What shall I now write of other Pastors and Doctors shall I follow the foolish conceits of Historio graphers in whose opinion the gift of miracles increased when the gift of knowledge decayed but the contrary is knowne by Scripture that the holy Apostles whom Christ indued with extraordinary gifts of working miraculous workes he indued them also with extraordinary gifts of knowledge but the writers of
Constans highly offended against Martinus sent first Olympus the Exarche of Italie either to take Pope Martinus prisoner or els to kill him but his attempts were frustrate not without a miraculous worke of God as Platina recordeth And afterward he sent Theodorus Calliopas who vnder pretence of friendship came to salute the Pope and cast him in bonds and sent him to Constantinople where Constans the Emperour caused his tongue to be cut out and his right hand cut off and banished him to Chersonesus Ponti The chaire of Rome was vacant for the space of foureteene moneths because they had no certaintie of the time of the death of Pope Martinus Next vnto him Eugenius the first was chosen Pope and gouerned two yeeres and nine moneths He was the first that made an Ordinance that Bishops should haue prison-houses for correcting the enormitie and contumacie of the Clergie After him succeeded Vitalianus the first he continued foureteene yeeres and sixe moneths in the Popedome to the singing of Psalmes in the Church by vive voyce he added Organs Next after Vitalianus followed Adeodatus and ruled foure yeeres two moneths and fiue dayes of a Monke he was made Pope In his time there were terrible apparitions in Heauen a great Comete continuing for the space of three moneths terrible thunders the like whereof had not beene heard in any preceding time great abundance of raine fastning the Corne to the ground so that they grew againe and in some places of Italie came to maturitie and ripenesse Great incursions of Turkes and Saracens who spoyled the Isle of Sicilie In all these calamities sayth Platina Adeodatus multiplied supplications for preuenting the fore-signified wrath to come If repentance and abolishing of horrible Idolatrie which had now taken deepe roote had beene joyned with prayers the Lord might haue beene the more easily entreated Donus or Domnus his successor ruled fiue yeeres and ten dayes he reduced the Church of Rauenna after long reluctation to the obedience of the chaire of Rome It is to be noted that all the time they were not subiect to the Bishop of Rome they were called by the Romanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so bent were they to vindicate all declining from their authoritie with opprobrious names of Heresies imposed to the decliners thereof Agatho successor to Donus ruled 2. yeeres 6. moneths and 15. dayes of whom Platina writeth that he cured a leprous man with a kisse as Pope Deus dedit had done before In his time Constantinus Pogonatus Emperour gathered the sixt generall Councell at Constantinople wherein the heresie of the Monothelites was condemned and Macarius Patriarch of Antiochia for his obstinate perseuering in that errour was excommunicate and Theophanius sometime an Abbot was placed in his roome But this I remit vnto its owne place The epistle of Agatho written to the sixt generall Councell is full of Antichristian pride wherein he affirmeth that the chaire of Rome neuer erred and that it cannot erre that euery soule that is to be saued must professe the Romane traditions and all the constitutions of the Romane Church are to be receiued as if they had beene deliuered by the diuine voyce of Peter Likewise he damned the marriage of men in a spirituall calling he commendeth the Masse impudently alledging a writing of Chrysostome concerning the Masse whereas in all the writings of Chrysostome this word of the Masse is not to be found After Agatho succeeded Leo the second who continued onely ten moneths and seuenteene dayes He was the first author of the kissing of the Pax. To him succeeded Benedictus the second and ruled ten moneths and twelue dayes onely In his dayes Constantinus Pogonatus Emperour ordained that in time to come the consent of the Emperour and Exarche of Italie should not be expected but he whom the Clergie and people did elect should forth-with be counted the Vicar of Christ. In so doing the Emperour very vnaduisedly put an hurtfull weapon into the Popes hand whereby the estate of the Empire was encombered and hurt afterward Iohannes the fift his successor continued not aboue one yeere and nine dayes And Conon the first the successor of Iohn the fift ended his course after the issue of 11. moneths and 3. dayes After the death of Conon the election of the Pope was like to be decided by weapons rather than by Suffrages and Votes some fauoured Theodorus others promoued Paschalis and neither of the parties would yeeld to the other In the end the people thought expedient to reiect them both and to choose some third person to the Popedome So they elected Sergius the first and carried him vpon their shoulders to the Church of Laterane In his time Iustinian the second gathered a Councell at Constantinople to perfect and finish the worke which his father had begun Sergius refused to subscribe the Acts of the sixt generall Councell albeit his Ambassadour who was present at the Councell had subscribed them Of the consecrated Hoste he ordained one part to be put into the Chalice to represent the bodie of Christ which was risen from death another part to be eaten to represent the bodie of Christ walking vpon the earth the third part to be laid vpon the Altar vntill the ende of the Masse to represent the bodie of Christ lying in the Sepulchre He gouerned thirteene yeeres eight moneths and twentie-foure dayes Patriarches of Constantinople COncerning the Patriarches of Constantinople in this Century little mention is made of them because for the most part they kept not the right faith but were intangled with heresie After Cyriacus Thomas and Iohannes and Constantinus succeeded whose faith as vnspotted with any blame of heresie hath an honest testimony in Church rolles called Sacra diptytha Sergius Pyrrhus and Paulus were miserably infected with the heresie of the Monothelites Pyrrhuâ— once recanted his heresie and was absolued from excommunication by Pope Theodorus but he returned incontinent againe as a dog to his vomite Pope Theodorus when he excommunicated him the second time vsed a new and insolent fórme of doing the like whereof was neuer heard at any time before for he infused some drops of the consecrated cup into inke and writ a sentence of cursing against Pyrrus Paulus also obtained at the hands of the Emperour Constans edicts to be affixed in diuers places whereby all men should be compelled to subscribe to the error of the Monothelites After them Petrus and Theodorus albeit they maintained not the fore-mentioned heresie with so high and proud attempts as others had done yet they were addicted vnto it Gregorius successor to Theodorus in the sixt generall Councell had defended the error of the Monothelites but when he was cleerly refuted by testimonies of Scripture by places cited out of the Fathers he yeelded and embraced the true faith Callyniâ—us ministred vnder the raign of Iustinian the second who demolished a Church neere approching to his pallace
of S. Silvester threw him down to the ground spoyled him of his pontificall garments beat him with many strokes and finally cast him into prison and bonds but hee escaped by the meanes of a cubiculare named Albinus and lurked in the Vaticane vntill the time that Vnigisius Duke of Spoleto conveyed him safely vnto his bounds At this time Charles King of France had warres against the Saxons The Bishop of Rome who came to him to complaine of the iniuries which hee had received was sent backe againe very honourably accompanied with the souldiers of Charles King of France and with promise that he should without delay addresse his iourney towards Italy When Charles came to Italy the Popes enemies were so dashed with feare they durst not appeare to accuse him and the Clergie of Rome thought meet that no man should iudge of the Apostolike chaire but the Bishop of Rome should bee his owne iudge Leo tooke the booke of the Gospell in his hands and swore that hee was innocent of all the crimes obiected against him and so hee was absolved and Pascalis and Campulus the friends of the late deceased Pope Adrian were counted worthy of death but Pope Leo interceded for safety of their liues so they were banished to France For this benefit Leo caused Charles to be declared Emperour of the West and crowned him with the Imperiall Diadem And from that time forwards the custome began that Emperours should receiue their Coronation from the Bishop of Rome Notwithstanding of this it was ordained that no man should be elected Bishoppe of Rome without advise of the Emperour of the West and without receiving investment from him Patriarchs of Constantinople THe Patriarches of Constantinople in this Centurie placed and displaced according to the changeable conceits of the Emperours Vnder th raigne of Iustinian the second Cyrus was Patriarch whom Philippieus removed and advanced one named Iohn who had fore-told that hee should bee made Emperour This Iohn was infected with the heresie of the Monothelites and was remooved by Artemius by whom Germanus was advanced to the chaire of Constantinople Germanus continued vntill the raigne of Constantinus Copronymus Hee was deposed and excommunicated by the generall Councell assembled by Constantinus because he allowed the worshipping of Images To him succeeded Anastatius who albeit hee disliked Images yet hee was vnthankfull to the Emperour and favoured the seditious attempts of the people of Constantinople who advanced Artabasdus to the Imperiall dignity Moreover hee slandered the Emperour as if hee had spoken against the divinity of Christ. Hee received a iust recompence of his vnthankefulnesse for he was deposed and scourged and set vpon an Asse with his face towards the Asses tayle and made a ridiculous spectacle to the people After him Constantine a Monke was made Patriarch who at the first seemed to condemne Images but afterward hee was found to bee a maintayner and allower of them The Emperour banished him to Iberia where hee spake contumeliously both of the Emperour and of the Councell holden at Constantinople therefore he was brought back againe from banishment and was beheaded and his body was drawn through the town with a cord and cast into a pit where the bodies of malefactors were accustomed to be cast After him succeeded Nicetas a man vnlearned and advanced by the Emperor Const. Copron. for none other cause but onely for his zeale against the worshipping of Images After him succeeded Paulus Cyprius who in the dayes of Const. Copron. damned the worshipping of images but afterward changed his minde and vnder the raigne of Irene entred into a Monastery and lamented that hee had consented to the abolishing of images The vaine inconstancy of this timorous and superstitious man was the chiefe occasion of the convocation of the second Councell of Nice by the Empresse Irene To him succeeded Tarasius who was present and gaue allowance to the adoration of Images The prevailing power of the Saracens in Alexandria Antiochia and Ierusalem did so obscure the names of the Patriarchs of there cities that I haue no remarkeable thing to write of them in this Centurie Of Pastors and Doctors IN this declining age wherein spirituall grace dayly decayed and nothing increased except an heap of earthly treasures which God permitteth to be poured into the bosomes of them who loue the wages of iniquity Alwayes even at this time some men of good literature and learning did manifest themselues vnto the world such as Bonifacius Bishop of Mentz Damascene a learned Monke Paulus Diaconus a learned writer of histories and Beda a man counted venerable in his time yet all these were miserably infected with the superstitions of their time such as the opinion of Purgatory invocation of Saints worshipping of Images and prohibition of Mariage Bonifacius was a man borne in England in place neere adioyning to Excester he was familiarly acquainted with fiue Popes to wit with Pope Constantinus the first Gregorius the second Gregorius the third Zacharias the first Stephanus 2. And by them he was advanced to many honours First to be the Popes Legate in England Germany and France and afterwards to be Archbishop of Mentz All his studies and travailes tended to this to bring the people of England Germany and France to the subiection of the Romane Bishop and to a conformity of the superstitions of the Romane Church In the name and at the commandement of Pope Zacharias hee disauthorized Childericus King of France thrust him into a Monasterie and anoynted Pipinus the son of Carolus Martellus to be King of France So zealous was he to performe all the desires of the Roman Bishoppes by whom also his name was changed for hee was first named Vinofridus but the Bishops of Rome who delighted in his service called him Bonifacius After he had served the Romane Bishops in slavish subiection 36. yeeres he was slaine by Pagans because he had anoynted Pipinus King of France and for hope they had to enrich themselues by his coffers in the which when they had opened them they found nothing except bookes and reliques of Saints whereof they made no account And his body was buryed in the Monastery of Fulda Damascene a superstitious Monke the disciple of Cosmas lived vnder the Emperours Leo and Const. Copron. hee was a long time in company of the Saracens and with the Prince of Saracens he went to the sepulchre of Mahomet and like vnto a timorous body worshipped the bones of Mahomet fearing to haue beene put to death if hee had not done such homage Hee was a patron of worshipping of Images and was excommunicated in the generall councell assembled by Const. Copron. It is written by Iohn Patriarch of Ierusalem in the History of Damascenes life that the Prince of Saracens was moved to indignation against him by a deceitfull letter sent from the Emperour Leo Isaurus in the which Damascene was charged as a man willing to haue betrayed
the greater boldnesse to doe this because the Emperour Carolus was occupied in warre-fare The Nation of the Normandes were now so sauadge and mightie and molested France with an huge Armie that the Emperour was compelled to transact with them in manner as is aboue rehearsed in the Historie of the life of Carolus Crassus Another constitution was made by Pope Hadrian to wit That after the death of Carolus Crassus who died without succession the Emperiall Title together whth the gouernement of Italie should belong to one of the Princes of Italie This was the ground of vnsupportable debate and of factions in Italy euery man according to the greatnesse of his power contending to be King and Emperour But chiefely Albertus Marques of Tuscia Berengarius Duke of Forouilium and Guido Duke of Spoleto This seditious plotte also perturbed the Ecclesiasticall estate For after this euery one of the Princes of Italie stroue with all their might to haue such a man seated in the Popedome as could best aduance his faction as will clearelie appeare in the election of Pope Formosus To Hadrian the thirde succeeded Stephanus the fifth and ruled sixe yeeres and eleuen dayes The lesse Holinesse Learning and Vertue that he had the greater audacitie and boldnesse was found in him for he made a constitution whereof Gratian recordeth Distinct. 19. Cap. Enim vero Quicquid Ecclesia Romana statuit quicquid ordinat perpetuo quidem irre-fragibiliter obseruandum est that is Whatsoeuer the Romane Church doth statute and ordaine it is perpetuallie and without all contradiction to be obserued After Stephanus the fifth whom others doe call the sixth succeeded Formosus and continued fiue yeeres and sixe months Hee obtained the Popedome not without strife For one Sergius a Deacon was his competitor supported with the Tusculan faction Alwayes Formosus preuailed It was supposed that hee was one of them who conspired against Pope Iohn the ninth and cast him into bondes After this hee feared the authoritie of Pope Iohn and fled into France but Pope Iohn denuded him of all Ecclesiasticall office and put vpon him the habite of a Laicke person which indignitie done vnto him he tooke it so grieuously that he bound himselfe by an oath That hee should neuer see the Towne of Rome nor returne againe to his Bishopricke for hee was Episcopus Portuensis But Pope Martinus absolued him from his oath and repossessed him into his Bishopricke againe and in the end he was made Pope as is said Neuerthelesse the faction of his competitor Sergius ceased not to vexe and molest Formosus so that hee sent secret aduertisemeÌ„t vnto Arnulphus the Nephew of Carolus Crassus to come to Rome who came with an Armie and was crowned Emperour by Formosus as hath beene alreadie declared To Formosus succeeded Bonifacius the sixt who concluded his course after he had continued twentie and sixe daies After Bonifacius the sixt succeeded Stephanus the sixt and ruled one yeere and three months Hee not onely annulled all the Decrees of his Predecessor Formosus but also caused his dead bodie to bee taken out of his graue and cut off his three fingers wherewith he was wont to consecrate persons admitted to spirituall offices and threw them into Tyber and caused all them who had receiued ordination by Formosus to receiue new ordination This fact of Stephanus the sixt is so full of vncouth and vnnaturall inhumanitie that Onuphrius denieth that any such thing was done whose impudencie Morneus discouereth by the testimonie of Luitprandus who liued at that same time and was a Deacon of the Church of Ticinum and maketh mention of this vile fact not without horrour and detestation thereof Baronius is not so impudent as Onuphrius and will not denie the fact but extenuateth the atrocitie and vilenesse thereof for hee saith Non fuit error in fide sed violenta tyrannis in facto that is to say It was no errour in the faith but a violent tyrannie in the fact And likewise hee annulled the inauguration of the Emperour Arnulphus and annointed Albert or Lambert Marques of Tuscia who followed the Popes course to bee Emperour Now is the Popedome encreased to the measure of a full strength when they dare authorise and disauthorise place and displace Emperours at their owne pleasure So that there remaineth nothing but to enter into gripes with the Emperour throw him downe to the ground and to treade vpon the excellent honour of his Soueraigntie which in the next Centurie will follow To Stephanus succeeded Romanus and continued onely three months He abrogated the Decrees of Stephanus his predecessour Theodorus the successour of Romanus continued in his Popedome twentie dayes onely In this short time he allowed the Decrees of Formosus Patriarches of Constantinople PAtriarches of Costantinople in this Centurie were changed according to the dispositioÌ„ of the Emperours fauouring or disliking the worshipping of Images Nicephorus was a defender of adoration of Images was banished by the Emperour Leo. Theodotus againe Antonius and Syngelus who had bin Schoole-maisters to the Emperour Theophilus were haters of Images But after the death of Theophilus Theodora his wife advanced Methodius a superstitious man and an obstinate defender of adoration of Images and intercession of Saints Concerning Ignatius and Photius and the great troubles that arose about placing and displacing of them occasion will be offered to speake of these things in the head of Councels Of other Pastors and Doctors IN this corrupt and back-sliding age wherein the Romane Antichrist had so great an vpper-hand the head of Councels will compell mee to make mention of the names of a number of learned men At this time the name of Claudius Taurinensis putteth a great number of the refront of my remembrance because hee was a faithfull witnesse vnto the truth of God in a troublesometime He was a man borne in Spaine vnder the raigne of Ludovicus Pius he was made Bishop of Thurin in Piâ—mont As his first entry to his Bishopricke hee threw the Images out of his Church affirming that the Saints who in their life-time were not content to be worshipped much lesse could they be content to haue their pictures worshipped after their death In speciall hee condemned the worshipping of the crosse affirming that if it should be worshipped because Iesus died vpon it then the Ship in the which Christ sayled the Asse whereupon Christ did ride into Ierusalem infinit things which Christ touched by the like reason ought also to bee worshipped Concerning the Bishop of Rome he sayd that he was not to be counted an Apostolicke Bishop who sate in the Apostolicke chaire but hee who fulfilled an Apostolicke office Hinemarius Bishop of Rhemes lived vnder Carolus Magnus and continued in office almost vntill the raigne of the Emperour Arnulph Hee had great strife with his nephew Hincmarus Bishop of Laudunum who refused to bee vnder his Diosis and appealed from him vnto
was deposed in a Councell gathered by Otto the first and Leo the eight was placed in his roome Pope Iohn had such an end as his most wretched life deserved for hee was deprehended in adultery and the husband of the woman whom hee defyled wounded him to the death so hee concluded his vnhappy life Leo the eight was chosen Pope with advice of the Emperour Otto the first and he ruled one yeere and 4. moneths albeit the seditious people of Rome reiected him and accepted againe Iohn the thirteenth and after his death they chose another called Benedictus the fift notwithstanding the Emperour Otto subdued those insolent and seditious people and tooke Benedictus 5. prisoner and banished him to Hamburg where for very heart-griefe he ended his life Leo loathing the manifold seditions of the Romane people conferred againe the chusing of Popes to the Emperour Pope Iohn the fourteenth ruled six yeeres eleven months and fiue dayes Against whom conspired Godfredus Count of Campania and Petrus the chiefe Captaine of the citie with two Consuls and twelue Aldermen of the towne They layd hands vpon the Pope in the Church of Laterane and detayned him prisoner eleven moneths The Emperour Otto and his sonne made haste to come to Rome and after due examination of this seditious attempt he banished the two Consuls to Germany hee commanded the twelue Aldermen to be hanged and Peter the chiefe Captaine to be bound vpon the backe of an Asse his face turned towardes the Asses tayle and his hands bound vnder the same thus hee was carryed through the whole citie and scourged with rods and banished Godfredus and his sonne before this time were dead and buried but the Emperour caused their bodies to be raised out of their graues and to bee cast into vnhallowed places The abusing of Pope Iohn was punished with the greater severity because hee was hated by the Romanes for the loue hee carryed to the Emperour In this Popes time began the vile superstition of baptizing of Bels and giving vnto them peculiar names and the Pope called the great Bell of the Church of Laterane Iohn according to his owne name Benedictus the sixt was successor both to the place and calamities of Pope Iohn Cynthius a man of noble birth in Rome imprisoned the Pope in the Castle of Saint Angeli where hee was strangled after hee had continued one yeere and six moneths in his Popedome Platina writeth that of all things there is a vicissitude even so the Popes now doe include the noble citizens of Rome into that same Castle called Saint Angeli whereinto of old they were incloased themselues Donus the second of that name dyed in the first yeere of his government nothing worthy of memory is written of him Bonifacius the seventh continued not aboue seven months and fiue dayes in his Popedome a man famous for sacrilegious theft For when he perceived that the Romane citizens conspired against him he tooke with him all the iewels of the Church of Saint Peter and fled to Constantinople where he sold the Iewels and acquired to himselfe a great summe of money wherewith hee intended to corrupt the minds of the people of Rome but incontinent he was cut off by death While Pope Bonifacius the seventh was in Constantinople Iohn the fifteenth was chosen Pope and in the eight moneth of his Popedome hee was inclosed in the Castle of Saint Angeli called of old Moles Adriani where he miserably ended his life Benedict the seventh ruled eight yeeres He was Pope at that time when Otto the second dyed at Rome and great deliberation was had about the successor of the Empire The Pope consented to the Germanes whose opinion was this that the sonne of Otto the second albeit young in yeeres should be declared Emperour Other things and namely the processe of the deposition and restitution of Arnulphus Bishop of Rhemes I referre to the head of Councels After Benedict the seventh succeeded Pope Iohn the sixteenth who hated the Clergie and dilapidated all the Church-rents vpon his friends and kinsmen hee dyed in the eight moneth of his Popedome To him succeeded Iohn the seventeene and continued ten yeeres six moneths and ten dayes Hee was not free of popular seditions but fearing the cruelty of Crescentius whom the Romanes wished that he should raigne as Emperour and King of Italy the Pope fled to Hetruria from thence giving advertisement to the Emperor Otto the third to support the distressed estate of the chaire of Rome Crescentius fearing the power of the Emperour Otto allured Pope Iohn to returne backe againe to Rome which done Crescentius with the chiefe authors of the foresayd sedition kissed his feet and craved him pardon Notwithstanding of this the Emperor Otto set forward with his army toward Rome and when hee heard that Pope Iohn was dead hee presented to the Romanes one Bruno a Germane and of his owne consanguinitie whom the Romanes fearing the Emperour durst not refuse and called him Gregorie the fift Gregorie the fift governed two yeeres and eight moneths The Romanes more seditious then wise incited Crescentius againe to take vpon him authority and to eiect Gregorie the fift and to choose another whom they called Iohn the eighteenth Gregorie fled to Germanie and complained to Otto the third of the iniuries done to him The Emperour led an armie to Rome of intention once to be avenged of the continuall sedition of the Roman people Crescentius fortified the Towne of Rome and the castle of S. Angeli which after that time receiued the third name not onely to be called Moles Adriani and the Castle of Saint Angeli but also the Castle of Crescentius but all this preparation was made in vaine Otto circumvened Crescentius and the new made Pope putting them in hope of Pardon but when they came forth the new made Pope had his eyes thrust out and was spoyled of his life and Crescentius was hanged before the walles of the Citie Gregorius was restored againe and made that constitution about the choosing of the Emperour in time to come by the seuen Electors of Germanie whereof I haue spoken in the life of the Emperour Otto the third After Gregorie the fift Sylvester ruled foure yeeres one month eight daies Hee was first a Monke of Floriake when hee left the Cloyster hee went to Spaine and learned Sciences in the Towne of Sivill Of a Disciple he became in short time a Master and had the honour to be an instructer of Otto the third who was made Emperour and Robert King of Fraunce and Lotharie a noble man who afterward was Bishop of Senon It was an easie thing for his Disciples being so potent and noble to advance him to all the honours hee obtained first to be Bishop of Rhemes secondly to be Bishop of Ravenna and last of all to be Bishop of Rome But his name is filthily spotted with Magicall arts and hee was so familiar
Saint Peter himselfe were aliue and did rebuke the lewdnesse of their conversation they would not spare to take Saint Peters life also Moreouer hee sayd they were full of vncleannesse and were blinde guides leading the people headlong to Hell but the Lord would haue in remembrance their iniquities and call their wickednesse to account Thus the hatefull indignation of the Clergie being kindled against him for preaching the truth they layed waite for him secretlie and tooke him and drowned him Platina alledgeth that this fact displeased the Pope alwayes there was no inquisition to know the authors of this fact not punishment of malefactours who shed innocent blood in secret that manifested vnto the world the Popes indignation About this time was a booke written called Opus Tripartitum the author whereof was vnknowne but it is supposed to haue beene compiled by Arnulphus It contained great complaints of the manifold abuses of Church-men After Honorius succeeded Innocentius the second and ruled fourteene yeeres seuen months eight dayes Hee was a man of a militarie spirit albeit not fortunate in warfare For he made warre against Rogerius Duke of Sicilie whom hee besieged also in a certaine Castle But William Duke of Calabria Rogerius his sonne not onely relieued his father but also laid hands on the Pope and his Cardinals and made them Captiues and prisoners Rogerius delt friendly with the Pope and his Cardâ—nals and set them at libertie and obtained at the Popes hand whatsoeuer hee pleased except the name and title of a king At this time when the Pope was busied in warrefare the Romans advanced one called Peter the sonne of Leo a man of noble birth in Rome to be Pope And when Innocentius adressed himselfe to Rome hee did finde the faction of his Competitor to be strong and mighty therefore he sayled to Pisca and from thence to Geneua and from thence to France where hee assembled Councels at Clermont and at Rhemes and deliuered his Competitor to Sathan In the end hee was restored to his chaire againe by the Emperour Lotharius the second In his time the Towne of Rome being wearied with the tirâ—nnie of the Popes tooke resolution to be gouerned by Consuls The Pope to obviat this conceite of the people made an ordinance that whosoeuer did violently put hands on any person of the Clergie hee should be excommunicate and no man should haue power to absolue him but onely the Pope After Innocentius succeeded Coelestinus the second Hee was chosen Pope without the consent of the people as witnesseth Onuphrius he ended his course in the fift month of his Popedome To him succeeded Lucius the second and gouerned the Pestilentius chaire as the Magdeburg historie recordeth in a time when the Pestilence had great vpperhand in Rome Hee concluded his course in the eleuenth month of his Popedome After Lucius succeeded Eugenius the third sometime disciple to Bernard and ruled eight yeeres foure months and twentie dayes He so bestirred himselfe against the Senators of Rome that partlie by cursings and partly by force hee brought them in subiection and compelled them to receiue such Senators as the Pope by his authoritie pleased to assigne vnto them But it came to passe that hee who was desirous to be terrible and awfull to the Romans hee feared them in like manner that they were conspiring secretlie against his estate Therefore hee fled to Tybur and from thence to Fraunce to leade an armie to the East for the support of distressed Christians But this voiage had no good successe notwithstanding that the Popes blessing and Bernards Councell who was Abbot of Clarauall and much regarded at that time were both interposed to advance this often reiterated warrefare against the Turks When the Pope returned from France to Rome accompanied with great forces the people of Rome were affraid but the Pope soone after concluded his course at Tybur Anastatius the fourth succeeded Eugenius who continued in his Popedome one yeere foure months and twentie foure dayes To Anastatius succeeded Pope Adrian the fourth a Monke of the English nation employed by Pope Eugenius to goe to the people of Noroway whom hee brought vnder the Roman superstition and therefore was advanced by Pope Eugenius to the dignitie of a Cardinall and after the death of Anastatius the fourth he was promoted to the Popedome Hee would not goe to the Church of Lateran to be consecrated vntill Arnoldus Bishop of Brixia was driuen from the Towne of Rome because hee had counceled the Romans to claime to the auncient gouernment of their Towne to be guided by consuls and Senators But the proud Pope insisted so seriouslie against Arnoldus and the Romanes that hee compelled them by the force of his multiplied curses not onely to expell Arnoldus out of the Towne of Rome but also to submit themselues absolutely to the gouernment of the Pope The proud cariage of this Pope towards the noble Emperour Fredericke the first his bad successe in warrefare against the Duke of Sicilie and his miserable death in the Towne of Anagnia hath all beene touched in the historie of the life of Fredericke He ended his course after hee had ruled foure yeeres and ten months After Adrian the fourth succeeded Pope Alexander the third who had great debate against his competitor Victor the fourth called before Octavianus in respect the Emperour and the Princes of Germanie and a great number of the Clergie of Rome adhered to Pope Victor And on the other part to Pope Alexander adhered the kings of England France and Sicilie And this scisme indured a long time for remouing whereof the Emperour Fredericke appointed one councell at Papia and another at Diuion To the first hee would not appeare because hee thought the Pope should be iudged of no man To the Second he should not appeare because the councell of Diuion was not assembled by his owne authoritie but by the commandement of the Emperour This Litigious decertation tooke this effect that the Emperour and Bishoppes conuened at the foresaid Councels decreed Victor who appeared and was ready to submit hâ—s cause to the iudgement of a lawfull assemblie him I say they decreed to be Pope lawfully elected Pope Alexander fled to France and in the councell of Clermont hee excomunicated both the Emperour and his Competitor Victor these were the weapons of their warrefare against the Emperours and all others whom they supposed to be their aduersaries After the death of his Competitor Victor Pope Alexander being at Rome the Emperour Fredericke came with a strong armie thereto and Pope Alexander fled to the Venetians What Tragedie fell out in Venice forcing the noble Emperour to stoupe vnder the feete of the Pope for excessiue loue that hee caried towards his sonne hath beene declared in the Historie of the Emperour Frederickes life In this Popes dayes was Thomas Becket Bishop of Canterburie slaine Henry king of England purged himselfe to the Pope that
that then wee be readie to leaue all things for his sake as when hee requireth in vs after the like phrase the hatred of father and mother and of our owne liues hee biddeth vs not to dishonour our father or mother much lesse to hate them but that then when it is required we set all things behind the loue of Christ. Many other worthy workes hee compiled wherein albeit hee vttered nothing but what was truth yet notwithstanding hee was by the Antichrist and his rable condemned for an heretike exiled and his bookes burnt Of this number also was one Laurence an Englishman Master of Paris and Petrus Ioannis a Minorit who taught and maintained many things against the Pope prouing that hee was Antichrist and that the Synagogue of Rome was great Babylon whom because the Pope could not burne aliue after his death his bones were taken vp and burned Also Robertus Gallus is to be added to those before mentioned who being borne of a right noble parentage for devotions sake was made a Dominik Frier about the yeere of our Lord 1290. This man as appeareth by his writings had diuerse and sundrie visions al tending against the spirituallitie of Rome for hee called the Pope plainely an Idole who hauing eyes neither saw nor desired to see the abhominations of his people nor the excessiue enormitie of their voluptuousnesse but onely to heape vp treasures to himselfe And hauing a mouth did not speake himselfe but sayd I haue set good men ouer them which is sufficient to doe them good either by himselfe or others Hee notably describeth in one of his visions the curiositie and vanitie of the Scholastig Doctours who flourished in this age comparing them to a man who hauing good bread good wine hanging on both his sides was notwithstanding gnawing hungerly on a flint stone thereby signifiyng that they leauing the wholsome foode of their soules contained in the Scriptures busied themselues with subtile questions containing no edification in them nor comfort to the soule of man In this age also is reckoned Robert Gostred Bishoppe of Lincolne in England a man of great learning godlinesse and constancie who liued in the daies of Pope Innocentius the fourth and constantly resisted his vnlawfull request For this Pope had recommended vnto him a yong Italian boy to bee admitted to the first vacant prebendry of his diosie But Robert Gostred would not agree to the vngodlie desire of the Pope but did write backe an answere to him declaring that next after the sinne of Lucifer there is not nor can bee any kinde of sinne so repugnant and contrarie to the doctrine of the Apostles and holy Scripture and to our Soueraigue Christ himselfe more hatefull detestable and abhominable then to destroy and kill mens soules by defrauding them of the misterie of the Pastorall office which by the ministerie of the Pastorall cure ought to saue and quicken the same Which sinne by most euident places of Scripture such men are descerned and knowne to commit who being in the authoritie of that Pastoral dignity doe serue their owne carnall desires with the benefite of the milke and wool of the sheepe and flocke of Christ and doe not minister the same Pastorall office to the benefite and saluation of those their sheepe And whereas hee perceiued that the Bishop of Rome delt in all his requests imperiouslie rather commaunding nor requesting any thing to bee done hee answered in the end of this letter that the power which was giuen by God to any Bishop was to build the house of God and not to destroy it hereby blaming the Bishop of Rome as one who abused his authoritie to the destruction of the Church of God by placing young boyes in offices neither apt to teach nor wel acquainted with the maners and language of the people This ansâ—â—re being returned to the Pope hee was greatly moued with indignation and sware that except hee had beene restrained by his owne naturall clemencie hee would hurle him downe to such confusion as to make him afable a gazing stocke and a wonder to the world Not long after thus it pleased God to visit this reuerend father with sicknesse in the time whereof hee called to him a Frier of the preaching Order named Master Iohn Giles a man expert and cunning both in Physicke and Diuinitie partly to receiue from him some comfort to his body and partly to conferre with him in spirituall matters Thus vpon a certaine day the said Bishop conferring with the said Master Iohn and reciting to him the doings and proceedings of the Pope did grieuously rebuke his fellow brethren the Preaching Friers and the other Order also of the Minorites Because their Order being planted in wilfull pouertie of the Spirit to the intent they should more freely carpe and reproâ—e the vices of the mightie and not to flatter or to spare them but sharpely to rebuke and reprehend the same yet the said Friers contrarie to their profession did not boldly enough cry out and invey against the abuses of their superiours and men of power not did vncouer nor detect their faults and wickednesse And therefore the B. said I â—udge them to be no better than manifest heretickes And added moreouer demanding of Master Iohn what is heresie that hee would giue him the true definition of it Whereat when the Frier did stay and pause not remembering the solemne definition of that matter the Bishop therevpon inferreth giuing this definition in Latine by the true interpretation of the Greeke word Heresis gracè Latine electio est sententia humano sensu electa scripturae sacrae contraria palam docta pertinaciter desensa that is heresie is a sentence taken and chosen of mans owne braine contrarie to holy Scripture openly maintained and stâ—flie defended And this definition especiallie hee applied against the Romans who commit the charge of soules vnto their kinsfolkes being both in age vnworthie and in learning insufficient and so stiflie defend this their wicked opinion that if any dare presume to withstand the same hee is suspended and excommunicated and open warre proclaimed against him Therefore hee to whom the whole definition of an heretike doth agree hee is a verie heretike And euery Christian man ought to set himselfe against an heretike as farre as hee may yea and that person who can resist him and doth it not hee sinneth and seemeth to be a fauourer thereof according to the saying of Gregorie Hee lacketh not conscience of secret societie who ceaseth to resist open impietie and the Apostle writeth to the Romans saying not onely they who commit such things but also they that consent are worthie of death Therefore it may be concluded that aswell the Pope Vnlesse he cease from that vice as also the same Friers vnlesse they shew themselues more earnest and studious in repelling the same are both worthy of death that is perpetuall damnation Item sayth the Canon Decretall that vpon this
per viam expedientiae that is although it be not lawfull by way of iustice yet is it meet to doe it as a thing expedient to be done He exercised his tyrannie and power of excommunication against Andronicus Paleologus Emperour of Constantinople declaring him a schismaticke and heretike because hee neither would nor durst suffer the Grecians to make their appeale from the Greeke Church to the Pope neither would acknowledge him for his superior For the Grecians euer constantly refused to be subiect to the Romane bishop except in that short time wherein the Frenchmen had the Empire of the East and in the time of Michael Paleologus who in the Councell at Lyons submitted himselfe to Gregorie the tenth whereby he procured vnto himselfe such hatred that after his death the Grecians denyed vnto him the honour and place of buriall as hath beene declared In like manner hee excommunicated the Venetians for preferring Azada to the estate of Ferrare yea Francis DaÌ„dalus Ambassador from the Venetians to the said Clement for pacifying his furie and obtaining that absolution suffered a chaine of iron to be tyed about his necke and to lye downe vnder the Popes table there like a Dog to catch the bones which fell from the table vntill the Popes furie was assuaged And lest he should be inferiour to his predecessors in subduing all powers vnder his feet hee ordained that the king of the Romans should not enioy the title and right of an Emperour without confirmation giuen by the Pope Next to Clement followed Pope Iohn the two and twentieth After that the chaire of Rome had beene vacant for the space of two yeeres and three months hee ruled nineteene yeeres foure months and was verie much giuen to heape vp riches so that hee proclamed them to be heretickes who affirmed that Christ and his Apostles had no possessions in the world He would not condiscend to the Coronation of Lewes the fift Duke of Bauaria to be Emperour because hee vsed the Empâ—â— all dignitie in Italie before hee was authorised by the Popeâ—â— which cause Lewes tooke his iourney to Rome and theâ—â— crowned by the Cardinalls and set vp another Pope in 〈◊〉 called Nicolaus the fift against Iohn who was then residâ—â— at a Auiniogue in France and so the church of Rome 〈◊〉 begun to haue two heads Pope 〈◊〉 the twelfe followed and ruled seuen yeeres 〈…〉 and seuenâ—â—eene dayes 〈…〉 Pope Clement the sixt and ruled ten 〈…〉 twentie eight dayes hee reduced the 〈…〉 was kept on the hundred yeere to the fiftieth yeere and to allure men to goe to warre for recouering of the holy land hee set forth blasphemous bulls commaunding the Angells to convey euerie mans soule to Paradise who died by the way giuing also power to all and singular persons signed with the Crosse to deliuer three or foure prisoners whom they pleased best out of the pains of Purgatorie After Clement the sixt followed Innocentius the sixt and ruled nine yeeres eight months and six dayes Hee imprisoned a certaine frier called Ioannes de rupescissa because hee Prophecied of the fall of the Pope and his Cardinalls by the parable of a bird cloathed with other birds fethers which in respect of her pryde were all plucked from her After him succeeded Vrbanus the fift and ruled eight yeeres and foure months In whose time the order of the Iesuits begun Next to Pope Vrban succeeded Gregorie the eleuenth who reduced the Papacie againe out of France to Rome after it had continued there aboue 70. yeeres moued hereunto vpon this occasion Hee had reprooued a certaine Bishoppe who stood by him from long absence from his charge to whom the Bishop replyed againe that the Bishop of Rome himselfe who ought to be a patterne to all the rest was longer absent from the place where his Church did tye him whereby the Pope tooke occasion to remoue his court from Fraunce to Rome When hee returned hee found the estate of Italie greatly disquieted with cruell warres and specially betwixt the Venetians and the Genoans whom the Pope threatned with excommunication if they both desisted not but before hee was able to accomplish this worke he ended his life after he had ruled seuen yeeres fiue months after whose death followed a great schisme in the Church of Rome For the Cardinalls of Italie choosed an Italian Pope whom they called Vrbanus the sixt and the Cardinalls of France choosed a Pope of the French nation whom they called Clemens the seuenth This scisme continued for the space of 38. yeeres vntill the generall Councell holden at Constance during which time were found at least two Popes raigning at one time the one in Auiniogue and the other in Rome In the dayes of this Pope Vrbane sprang vp Iohn Wickliffe in England of whose doctrine somewhat shall hereafter be spoken God willing whom Pope Vrbane such was the prouidence of God could not attend to suppresse being otherwise busied in suppressing his Competitor Clement the seuenth insomuch that this litle sparkle which begun in England enkindled forth with flames in the kingdome of Boheme and many other places to the great hurt of Antichrists kingdome To Vrbane after hee had ruled vnhappily as Platina writeth a eleuen yeeres and eight months succeeded Bonifacius the ninth and ruled foureteene yeeres and nine months hee was impudent in selling of Pardons that hee brought Peters keyes into great contempt After him succeeded Innocentius the seuenth and ruled two yeeres Of other Doctors IN this age God raised vp manie witnesses of his truth as also made the knowledge of letters the studie of tongues to spring vp againe after it had bin suppressed many yeeres in the Roman church for some learned men of the Grecians fearing the crueltie of the Turke fled vnto Italie by whose fruitfull trauaills learning begun againe to reuiue and spread it selfe thorow all parts of the West Of this number was Emmanuell Chrysoloras of Byzantium Theodorus Gaza of Thessalonica and Georgius Trapezuntius with many moe whose names are worthie to bee kept in good remembrance because they brought a good treasure with them out of Grecia where with many afterward were enriched Amongst those witnesses of the truth Marsilius Patavinus is iustly numbered who taking the defence of the Emperour Lewes agâ—inst the Pope who did excommunicate him affirmes in his booke called defensor pacis that the Pope hath no authoritie ouer other Bishops much lesse ouer the Emperour Secondly that the word of God ought only to be iudge in all causes Ecclesiasticall Thirdly that the Clergie and Pope should be subiect to Magistrates Fourthly That the head of the Church is Christ and that hee neuer appointed any vicar or Pope ouer his vniuersall Church Fiftly That Bishops ought to be chosen by their owne Church and Clergie Sixtly That the Mariage of Priests may be lawfully permitted Seuenthly That S. Peter was
againe after the issue of that Councell seuen yeeres after an other generall Councel should be kept and after that third Councell an ordinarie forme should be obserued of assembling generall Councells euery tenth yeere whereby reformation of abuses in the Church might bee more easilie obtained This Pope Martine after hee had gouerned 14. yeeres and 3. months died at Rome After him succeeded Eugenius the fourth gouerned sixteene yeeres In his time was the Councell of Basile kept which the Pope with aduice of his Cardinalls was minded to translate to Bononia But the Emperour Sigismund and other Princes and Prelats assembled at Basile were so highly offended against the Pope that they warned himselfe and his Cardinalls to appeare before the generall councill otherwise they would proceed against them as persons contumacious and disobedient to the voyce of the Church This warning so terrified Eugenius that hee gaue out his Apostolike letters to ratifie and approue the Councell of Basile neuerthelesse after the Emperours death the authoritie of the Councell being greatly empaired hee tooke vpon him greater boldnesse to transferre the Councell to Ferraria and from thence also to Florence pretending that the Emp. of CoÌ„stantinople Paleologus the rest of the Grecians who were now to be present at the generall councell would not trauell beyond the Alpes but would abide in some neerer place The Councell of Basile on the other part proceeded to the deposition of Eugenius 4. For his contumacie and placed Amecdeus Duke of Sauoy in his roome whom they called Foelix 5. Thus was the peace of the Roman church troubled of new againe some following Eugenius and others followed Foelix and the third sort being Neutralls neither following the one nor the other because they were so tossed with the contrarie decrees of the councell of Basile and Florence that they knew not what to follow This Pope as Platina writeth was bent to warres not being seemely in a Bishop for besides those which hee made in Italie hee stirred vp the Dolphin of France to invade the towne of Basile with an armie of horsmen of purpose to dissolue the Councell there and finallie hee stirred vp Vladislaus King of Poloma to fight against Amurathes King of Turkes contrary to his promise and truce taken betweene them to the great shame and hurt of Christianitie as hath beene declared After his death Nicolaus the fift was chosen to be Pope and ruled eight yeeres To him Foelix quintus who was elected Pope in the Councell of Basile was content to submit himselfe prouiding alwayes that hee might haue the dignitie of a Cardinall and that hee should bee appointed the Popes Legat in Germanie and in his owne countrey of Sauoy The Cardinalls also whom hee had made in his time should keepe their dignities and honours This hee did at the earnest desire of Frederike the Emperour in the yeere of our Lord 1449. In the which yeere also Nicolaus the fift set forth a decree of approbation of the Councell of Basile howbeit neither this Pope nor any other following him will bee subiect to the authâ—â—itie of generall Councells yet did hee approue the Councell of Basile wherein it was ordained that the Bishop of Rome should bee subiect to the Councell as a child is subiect to the voyce of his mother After Nicolaus succeeded Calixtus the third and gouerned three yeeres three months sixteene dayes hee was verie bent to fight against the Turkes and sent Messengers to all Christian Princes in Europe to stirre vp their hearts to make warre against the Turke with one consent of minde and to stay his further progresse and conquest in Europe but all his trauailles were spent in vaine for the Princes harkened not to his Councell Likewise hee sent messengers to Vsumcassanus king of Armenia and Persia whom with supplications and gifts hee stirred vp to make cruell warres against the Turke which warres also haue since that time continued vntill our dayes to the great disturbance of the crueltie of the Turke intended against Europe After him succeeded Pius the second who before his Popedome was called Aenâ—as Syluius a man of great witt learning and eloquence and gouerned six yeeres Hee was no lesse bent to make warre against the Turkes then was his Predecessour before him but his enterprise was staied by the dissention which was amongst Christian Princes for then and long after was great warre betweene Ferdinand of Naples and the Duke of Angeow and in diuers other parts of Italie Likewise These wise and worthie sentences vttered by him declared that he had a great gift of vnderstaÌ„ding knowledge Hee said that popular men should esteeme learning as siluer and noble men should count it like gold and Princes should count it in steade of pearles and precious stones Also that like as all riuers haue their courses to the sea and poure in their waters into the Ocean euen so great Courts are the maine Ocean receiuing the floudes of all kind of vices Likewise that if there seemed of old great reason to inhibit the marriage of Priests there was now greater reason to permit it Also that hee who giueth too great libertie to his child fostereth a domestike enemie within his owne bosome That lust dishonoureth in euery age but vndoth him vtterlie in his old age He died in the towne of Ancona where he was minded to haue blessed the armie which was to haue gone against the Turkes After Pius succeeded Paulus the second and gouerned six yeeres ten months Likeas he was not very learned in his own person so was hee also an aduersarie to learning and counted all men that were learned in humanitie to bee heretikes as Platina who writeth this of the Pope had good proofe in his owne person for hee was cast in prison and cruelly tormented by the Pope without a cause and in the ende lest his crueltie against many learned men should make him to bee hated of the people hee accused them of heresie hauing no better ground for it then this that they accounted much of the old Academique Philosophers For he laied this as an vnfallible ground that who soeuer would once make mentioÌ„ of Academia either in earnest or iesting words he was to be reputed an heretike Of other Doctors IN this age sprung vp Iohn Husse in the couÌ„try of Bohemia who by reading of the bookes written by Wickliff attained to knowledge and deprehended many grosse errours of the Roman church in so much that Pope Alexander 5. hearing thereof begun at last to direct his bull to the Archbishop of Suinto requiring him to see to the matter in due time to prouide that no man in churches schooles or other places should maintaine any such doctrine citing also Iohn Husse to appeare before him After whose death Pope Iohn 23. in like maner sought by all meanes to suppresse Iohn Husse because he seemed more willing to teach the Gospell of Christ
perceiving that Iohn Hus was denyed to be heard and that watch was layed for him on every side hee departed to Iberling a Citie of the Empire a mile distant from Constance and from thence caused a letter to be directed to the Councell and to bee affixed vpon the doores of the chiefe Churches Cloysters and Cardinalls houses in Constance bearing in effect that hee was ready to come to the Councell and to answer vnto any of his accusers who would stand vp to accuse him of erroneous and hereticall doctrine providing alwayes that hee might haue sure and safe accesse But when hee saw that through such intimations being set vp as is before sayd hee could haue no safe conduct hee thought meete to returne backe againe to Bohemia taking with him the letters patents of the Lords of Bohemia that were at Constanâ—e for a testimonie and witnesse of the premises As hee was in his iourney by treason and conspiracie of his enemies hee was taken in Hirsaw by the officers of Duke Iohn and sent backe to the Councell bound with chaines where hee was cast into prison and so hardly vsed that hee fell sore sicke almost to the death But after he was recovered and Iohn Hus was already put to death they brought forth Master Ierome whom they had long kept in chaines in the Church of Saint Paul and threatning him with death being instant vpon him they forced him to abiure and recant and consent vnto the death of Master Iohn Hus that hee was iustly condemned and put to death by them Neverthelesse his enemies perceiving that this abiuration was not made sincerely from his heart but onely for feare to escape their hands they gaue in new accusations against him And in the yeere of our Lord 1416. the 25. day of May the sayd Master Iereme was brought forth vnto open audience before the whole generall Councell vnto the great cathedrall Church of Constance Where many things were layd to his charge that day as likewise the third day after which was another Diet assigned to him for answering where hee refuted his adversaries with such eloquence and wisdome that the hearts of all the Fathers of the councell were marvelously bent and mooved to mercy toward him But in the end hee entered to the praise of Iohn Hus and affirmed that whatsoever Iohn Hus and Wickliffe had holden and written specially against the pompe and pride of the Clergie hee would affirme even to the death And likewise hee added that of all the sinnes that ever hee had committed the sinne of his recantation did most grievously gnaw and trouble his conscience especially in consenting to the wicked condemnation of that good and holy man Iohn Hus which fault as hee did it through weakenesse of faith and feare of death so did hee vtterly deny and revoke that wicked recantation After this hee was led away againe to prison and the Saturday before the ascention day hee was brought to the Cathedral Church before the Congregation where the sentence of his condemnation was given out against him and a paper with pictures of red divels was brought to bee put vpon his head which hee himselfe receiving put it thereupon saying Our Lord Iesus Christ when hee suffered death for me most wretched sinner did weare a crowne of thornes vpon his head and I for his sake will willingly weare this miter and cap. Afterward hee was layd hold on by the secular power and carried to the place of execution where his body was burnt with fire which paine he suffered with a lowd voyce praising God in the midst of the fire and commending his soule to the gracious custodie of the Lord Iesus And finally his ashes were diligently collected and throwne into the river of Rhene In this age also was Hieronimus Savonarola a man no lesse godly in heart then constant in profession who being a Monke in Italy and very learned preached against the evill life of the Spiritualty and specially of his owne order Which thing the Pope perceiving and fearing that the said Hierom who was already in great reputation amongst all men should diminish and overthrow his authority he ordained his Vicar or Provinciall to see reformation in those matters who with great superstition began to reforme them But the sayd Hierom did alwaies withstand him whereupon hee was complained of to the Pope and cursed by him Notwithstanding hee continued preaching in the towne of Florence And albeit hee was cited to appeare before the Pope he made his excuse and came not Then was hee againe forbidden to preach and his doctrine pronounced and condemned as pernicious false and seditious Thus Hieronimus forseeing the perils dangers that might come for feare left off preaching But when the people which sore hungred for the word of God were instant vpon him that hee would preach againe hee began againe to preach in the yeere 1496. and albeit many counselled him that he should not so doe without the Popes commandement yet did he not regard them but constantly went forward of his owne good will When the Pope and his shavelings heard newes of this they were grievously inflamed and incensed against him and now againe cursed him as an obstinate and stifnecked heretique Notwithstanding all this Hierom proceeded in preaching and instructing the people saying men ought not to regard such curses as are against the true and common profit of the people In all his teaching he desired to teach none other thing but the onely pure and simple word of God making often protestation that all men should certifie him if they had heard him teach or preach any thing contrary thereunto For in his owne conscience he knew that he had not taught any thing but the pure Word of God What his doctrine was all men may iudge by his bookes which hee hath written After this in the yeere of our Lord 1498. hee was taken and brought to Saint Markes Cloyster and and two other Fryers with him named Dominicke and Sylvester who favoured his learning and were carryed to prison and from thence were brought forth by the chiefe Councellors of Florence and the Popes Commissioners who had gathered out certain articles against them whereupon they should be condemned to death which were these 1. The first article was as touching our free iustification through faith in Christ. 2. That the Communion ought to bee ministred vnder both kinds 3. That the Indulgences and Pardons of the Pope were of none effect 4. For preaching against the filthy and wicked living of the Cardinals and Spiritualty 5. For denying the Popes supremacy 6. And that hee had affirmed that the Keyes were not given to Peter alone but vnto the vniversall Church 7. That the Pope did neither follow the life nor the doctrine of Christ for that hee did attribute more to his owne pardons and traditions then to Christs merits and therfore he was Antichrist 8. That the
fornication of Athanasius of the hand of Arsenius of the Table Cuppe and bookes aboue mentioned but they forged new accusations against him whereunto the Emp. gaue too hastie credit and banished Athanasius to Triere Immediatly after the Councell of Tyrus many Bishops were assembled at Ierusalem for the dedication of the Temple which the Emperour Constantine had builded at the place of the Lords sepulchre Concerning the Councell of Antiochia wherein the Arrians deposed Eustatius and the Councell of Arles wherein Cecilianus was absolued from the accusation of the Donatists no further discourse is needful then is contained in the history of the liues of these two Bishops GAngra is a towne of Paphlagonia In this towne were assembled certaine Fathers to the number of 16. about the yeere of our Lord 324. The occasioÌ„ of their meeting was the heretike Eustatius who admiring the Monasticke life or as others affirme fauouring the heresie of Encratitae and the ManicheaÌ„s he spake against Marriage against eating of flesh and hee damned the publicke Congregations of Gods people in Temples and said a man could not be saued except he forsooke all his possessions and renounced the world after the forme of monkish doing These opinions were daÌ„ned in the Councell of Gangra The subscriptions of the fathers of this Councell after their Canons are worthie to be remarked These things say they haue wee subscribed not vituperating them who according to Scripture chooseth vnto themselues an holy purpose of a continent life but them onely who abuseth the purpose of their minds to pride extolling themselues against the simpler sort Yea and damne and cut off all those who contrary to Scripture Ecclesiasticall rules bring in new commandements But wee admire humble Virginity and we approue continencie that is vnder taken with chastity and Religion And we embrace the renounciation of secular businesse with humilitie And wee honour the chast boÌ„d of Marriage And we despise not riches joined with righteousnesse good workes And we coÌ„mend a simple course apparrel vsed for couering the body without Hypocrisie Likewise we reject loose and dissolute garments And we honour the houses of God assemblies that are in them as holy and profitable not debarring men from exercises of pietie in their owne priuate houses But places builded in the name of the Lord we honour and Congregations assembled in the places for the common vtilitie wee approue And good workes which are done to poore brethren euen aboue mens abilitie according to the Ecclesiasticall traditions we blesse them And we wish all things to be celebrated in the Church according to holy Scriptures and the ordinances of the Apostles IN the time of the raigne of Constantine in Eliberis a towne of Spaine were assembled nineteene Bishops of Presbyters thirty six The end of their meeting was to reforme horrible abuses both in Religion manners which in time of the ten Persecutions had preuailed in Spaine And now in time of peace such enormities and festered manners could hardly be amended Many Ecclesiasticall Canons were made in this Synode to the number of 81. Whereof wee shall rehearse but a few and such as clearely pointeth out the principall end of their meeting They ordained the Heaâ—hnicke sacrificing Priests called of old Flamines if they were content to abstaine from sacrificing to Idols and to learne the groundes of Christian Religion after three yeeres repentance they should be admitted to baptisme Likewise they ordained that Christian Virgins should not be giuen in marriage to Pagans lest in the floure of their youth they should be entangled with spiritual whooredome In like maner that Bishops should receiue no reward from men that did not communicate with the Church They ordained that nothing that is worshipped should be pictured on the wall And that in priuate houses no Idols should be found And in case the masters of houses were afraid of the violence of their seruants at least they should keepe themselues pure and cleane which if they did not they should be counted strangers from the fellowship of the Church And that if any man happen to be slayne in the action of breaking downe images his name shall bee enrolled in the catalogue of Martyrs because it is not written in the history of the Gospell that the Apostles vsed any such forme of reformation whereby they signifie that by wholsome doctrine images should be cast out of the hearts of men rather than broken with popular violence and with the tumultuary attempts of priuate men Any iudicious man may perceiue by these Canons both the time when and the cause wherefore this Councell was assembled THey who count the first Councell of Carthage to be that Councell whereinto Cyprian with aduise of many other bishops of Numidia Lybia and other partes of Africa ordained men who were baptized by Heretikes to be rebaptised againe they commit a great ouer sight to reckon the first Councell of Carthage to be holden vnder the raigne of Constantine whereas it is certainely knowne that Cyprian was martyred in the dayes of Valerian the eight persecuting Emperour But the first Councell of Carthage that was kept in Constantines dayes was that Councell whereinto the Donatistes coÌ„demned Caecilianus Bishop of Carthage whose innocencie afterward was tryed by many Iudges In it there was no matter of great importance concluded and therefore I ouer-passe it with few wordes as an assemblie of little account All these Councells aboue mentioned were assembled in the dayes of Constantine the Great Now followeth Councells gathered in the dayes of his sonnes The cause pretended for the gathering of the Councell of Antiochia in the dayes of Constantius the sonne of Constantine was the dedication of the Church of Antiochia which albeit Constantine had builded yet fiue yeeres after his death and in the seuenteenth yeere after the foundation of the Temple was laide Constantius his sonne finished and perfected the worke And vnder pretence of dedication of this Temple as said is this Assemblie of Antiochia was gathered Anno 344. but indeed of purpose to supplant the true Faith To this Assemblie resorted many Bishops to the number of 90. But Maximus Bishop of Ierusalem and Iulius Bishop of Rome neither came they to the Councell neither sent they any messenger in their name fearing as the truth was that they were gathered for euill and not for good At this time Placitus the success out of Euphronius gouerned Antiochia Now when they were meâ— together many accusations were heaped vp against Athanasius First that hee had accepted his place againe without aduise of other Bishops Secondlie because at the time of his returning backe againe to Alexandria there fell out great commotion amongst the people and some were slaine others were contumeliouslie beaten and violently drawne befor justice seates Mention also was made of the decrete of the Councell of Tyrus against Athanasius It was an casie matter for the
matter of Faith to be first entreated others craving that the liues of such as were accused or deposed should be first examined and both parties grounded themselues vpon the warrant of the Emperours letters The principall ring leaders of the one faction were Acacius Bishop of Caesarea Palestinae Georgius Bishop of Alexandria Vranius of Tyrus Eudoxius of Antiochia and their followers exceeded not the number of two and thirtie On the other side were Georgius Bishoppe of Laodicea in Syria Sophronius of Pompeiopolis in Paphlagonia Eleusius of Cyzicus and the greatest number of the Councell followed the opinion of these Bishops So it came to passe that the most part thought it expedient that the matter of Faith should bee first entreated After this the Councell was of new againe divided into three factions Acacius and his complices thought meete that the forme of Faith should bee altered The most part were in a contrary opinion that the summe of the Nicene Faith should be kept onely the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should bee left out Sylvanus Bishoppe of Tarsus was in the third opinion that the summe of Faith compiled in Antiochia at the dedication of the Temple should be kept Pluralitie of voyces prevayled that the Sonne of God should neither be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is like vnto his Father because in Scripture hee is called the image of the invisible God And they consented to excommunicate all those who called the Sonne of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is vnlike vnto the Father Now Acacius and his complices who were indeede Anomaei would haue seemed to accord with the rest of the Councell but when it was demanded of them in what sense they counted the Sonne alike vnto the Father They answered that hee was like in will but not in substance After that much disputation and little agreement had beene Leonas a secret favourer of Acacius dissolved the assembly Neverthelesse the Fathers of the Councell convened to iudge the cause of Cyrillus Bishoppe of Hierusalem whom the Acacians had deposed and warned the Acacians to bee present but they would not compeare Therefore the Councell proceeded to the deposition of Georgius Bishop of Alexandria Acacius Bishop of Caesarea Vranius Bishoppe of Tyrus Patrophylus Bishope of Schythopolis and Eudoxius Bishop of Antiochia in whose place they substituted Avianus a Presbyter in Antiochia others call him Adrianus The Acacians layd hands on Avianus and delivered him into the hands of Leonas and Lauritius and they banished him The Councell protested against Leonas and Lauritius and the Acacians that they violated the Decree of the Councell and without further delay they addresse to Constantinople to giue information to the Emperour But the Acacians prevented the rest and misinformed the Emperour and accused the Councell and perswaded him to reiect the summe of Faith agreed vpon in Seleucia THe wrath of the Emperour against the Fathers of the Councell of Seleucia made the rest to bee dispersed only the Acacians remained stil in Constantinople and they gathered together fifty Bishops out of Bithynia and other neere adiacent places In this Synode they confirmed the summe of Faith read by Vrsatius and Valens in Ariminum It is iudiciously observed by Socrates that after the Councell of Nice the Arrians in the multiplyed conceits of their wauering minds set forth nine divers summes of faith to wit in the dedication of the Church of Antiochia two formes The third by those who adhered to Narcissus was exhibited to Constance in France The fourth was sent by Eudoxius to Italy In Sirmium three formes were indited whereof one was read in Ariminum with noting the names of the Consuls in whose time it was written The eight was the summe of Faith set forth in the Councell of Seleucia The ninth was the sum of faith set downe in Cōstantinople with this addition that the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be silenced when Preachers spake of God Thus we see that there is no end of wandering when men haue once forsaken the narrow path of the truth of God THe Emp. Constantius the rest of the Arrians were like vnto a troubled sea that cānot take rest yet another coūcel must be gathered in Antiochia for abjuring both the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that in time to come no man shall call the Son of God consubstantiall with the Father nor yet of a different substance frō the Father The bishops conueened thought expedient before they intreated concerning the Faith that the chaire of Antiochia vacant at that time without a B. should first be prouided choise was made of Meletius some-time B. of Sebastia in Armenia Hee receiued ordination by Arrians who subscribed also to his admission their hand-writs were deliuered into the custody of Eusebius Samosatenus But when Meletius disappointed the expectatiō of the Arrians they procured his banishment that Euzoius should be placed in his stead Likewise Eusebius Samosatēus for no minassings threatnings of the Emp. would deliuer backe againe the subscriptions of the Arrians so that the Emp. both commended admired the magnanimous courage of Eusebius This Coūcel was holden in the 25 yeere of the raigne of Constantius In it the Arrians could not perfect their intended purpose to inuent a new sum of faith which would haue made not the tenth forme of faith indited by thē because Constātius got knowledge of the seditious attempts of Iulian he left the Councel to preueene the enterprises of Iulian but he fell sicke by the way and died at Cilicia Vnder the raigne of Iulian Iouinian some particular councels were assembled such as a Councel in Alexandria gathered by Athanasius Eusebius Vercellensis for dāning old heresies and confirming the Faith Another in Palestina for ordaining a B. in Maiuma Another in Antiochia by the Acacians vnder the raigne of Iouinian These wandering stars accustomed to accommodate themselues to times places and persons to gaine fauour at the Emperours hands they subscribe the Nicene Faith But I set forward to the rest LAodicea is the Metrapolitane towne of Phrygia and one of the seuen Churches of Asia to whom the Apostle Iohn when hee was banished in Pathmos for the word of God did write his Epistles This description I haue premitted to distinguish Laodicea of Syria a citie neere approaching to Antiochia and whereof frequent mention is made in the Ecclesiasticall Historie from Laodicea of Asia In this towne Laodicea of Asia a Synode was gathered after the death of Iovinian about the yeere of our Lord 368. Nothing was determined in this Councell concerning matters of Faith but onely constitutions concerning Ecclesiasticall policie were made in number 59. In this assembly the worshipping of Angels is damned as horrible idolatry and a forsaking
Councell of Basil with his Apostolike letters But after the death of the Emperour who died in the sixt yeere of the Councell Eugenius tooke vpon him greater boldnesse and first held a contrarie Councell at Ferraria and afterward at Florence pretending that he behoued to meet with the Greekes for vniting of them to the West Church who because they would no wayes passe the Alpes he was compelled for their commoditie to keepe a Councell in some neerer place The Councell of Basil although weakned by the Emperours death proceeded not the lesse to the deposition of Eugenius and elected Amedeus Duke of Sauoy to be Pope whom they called Foelix the fift To this Councell were the Bohemians and Morauians invited who after they had receiued sufficient suretie and pledges for their safe passage returning againe sent Ambassadours to the Councell by whose earnest trauels it was obtained that the Bohemians and Morauians should haue the communion celebrat vnto them vnder both kinds The Historie of this Councell was written by Aeneas Syluius who was present at the same and liked well of the proceedings and determinations thereof as may appeare by his owne writings and namely by a certaine Epistle of his written to the Rector of the vniuersitie of Colen wherein he reioyceth for a certaine treatise of the said rectors which came into his hands reprouing the rudenesse and rashnesse of such as deny the Bishop of Rome and his consistory to be subiect to the Generall Councell and that the supreme tribunall seat of iudgement standeth in the Church and not in one Bishop Notwithstanding the same Syluius who by his learned writings advanced the decrees of the Councell of Basil yet afterward being promoted to that papall dignitie himselfe turned his coat and returned againe to the old filthy pride of the Chaire of Rome which magnifieth it selfe not onely aboue the Church but also maketh it selfe companion to God himselfe IN the yeere of our Lord 1439. while as the Councell of Basil was yet sitting vndissolued Eugenius the fourth perceiuing that matters went against him in Basil he held a contrarie Councell at Florence where he brought to passe that the Emperour and Patriarch of Constantinople with the rest of the Grecians there present were perswaded to receiue the sentence of the Church of Rome concerning the proceeding of the holy Ghost also to receiue the communion in vnleauened bread to admit Purgatorie and to yeeld themselues to the authoritie of the Romish Bishop wherevnto notwithstanding the other Churches of Grecia would in no wise assent at their comming home in so much that with a publict execration they did condemne afterward all those Legats which had consented to those Articles that none of them should be buried in Christian buriall It is to be noted in this Councell that the Grecians who agreed to other opinions of the Roman Church yet could neuer be induced to beleeue their doctrine of transubstantiation Notwithstanding they were content to set forth vnto the people a Bull of agreement which they called Bulla Consensus and the difference of opinions in that point of doccrine was not thought a sufficient impediment to stay the promulgation of this agreement Howbeit afterward as it were forgetting what they had done themselues in the Coūcels of Florence their Bulla Consensus they cry out that there is no agreement vnitie amongst the Protestants because there is some difference of opinions about the Sacrament among them In the time of this Councell Iosephus Patriarch of Constantinople died Eugenius required that presently before the dissolution of the Councell another should be chosen but to this the Grecians would not agree affirming that it was not lawfull to choose a Patriarch of Cōstantinople but onely in their owne Church there The Emperour Paleologus after his returning liued not long And finallie this agreement was counted of the Grecians infortunat and an euill presage immediatly before the vtter ruine of the Orientall Empire and the destruction of the towne of Constantinople For within 14. yeeres after this agreement at Florence the famous citie of Constantinople was taken by Mahomet Emperour of Turkes the Emperour Constantine the Brother of Paleologus was slaine and the Empire of the East was cut off CENTVRIE XVI THis Councell of Trent begun in the yeere of our Lord 1546. the fourth of Ianuary in the Popedome of Paulus the third In the first session thereof an oration was made by the Popes Legat declaring the causes of the calamitie of the Church In the second Session the Articles of faith were read and confirmed and that was kept the fourth of Februarie The third Session was kept the eight of April wherein it was decreed that the old Latine translation of the Bible should onely be vsed and accounted authentike in Churches and Schooles and that the rule in expounding of the Scriptures should bee this to expound them as the Church and the ancient fathers haue expounded them before As also the number of the bookes accounted holy and Canonicke Scriptures were rehersed the fourth Session was kept the 17. day of Iune where it was decreed that all men should beleeue that originall sinne was vtterly taken away in Baptisme in such sort that the concupiscence which remaineth in our nature after Baptisme is not to be accounted a sinne vntill wee giue the consent of our minde thereto And because the Law of God plainely condemneth it and the Apostle Paul in plaine words sayeth I had not knowne concupiscence to haue beene a sinne except the Law had sayd thou shalt not covet lest they should seeme to Proclame to the world their manifest contradiction to the Scriptures they lenifie their decree againe with this distinction that the Apostle calleth it a sin not because it is a sin properlie and indeede but because it commeth of sin tendeth also thereto Howbeit with those fathers licence the Apostle Paul declareth his owne sense and meaning that hee calleth concupiscence sinne because it is a transgression of the Law so that he accounteth it a sinne properly and indeed Also in this Session they decerne that the mother of our Lord was not conceived in originall sinne In the fift Session was decerned that even after the fall of Adam and in the nature of man before his regeneration there remaineth a free-will to doe good which being wakened by God and stirred vp is a fellow-bearer with his grace In the sixt Session was concluded that man is iustified partly by faith in Christ and partly by workes and that our iustification stands not in a free forgiuenesse of sinnes and a free imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ to all them who beleeue in him The seventh Session was kept the third of March an 1547. wherein was decerned that all men should beleeue that the Sacraments of the Church were seven in number to wit Baptisme Confirmation the
Eucharist Penance Extreme Vnction Orders and Matrimonie After this seventh Session the Popes Physition affirmed that the ayre of Trent was corrupted whereupon many of the Bishops were moved to depart from Trent to Bononia onely the Bishoppes of Spaine remained still at Trent being commanded by Charles the Emperour so to doe For the Emperour had gathered in Ausbrugh an assembly of the States of Germany and had induced the most part by menaces and threatenings and some also by alluring promises to submit themselues to the generall Councell of Trent And this being obtained of the States of Germany the Emperour sent the Cardinall of Trent together with his Ambassadour Mendoza desiring that the Pope would cause the Bishoppes that were retyred to Bononia to come backe againe to Trent But the providence of God pitying the weakenesse of Germany whom the Emperour had induced to bee obedient to the Councell of Trent hardened the Popes heart who would not consent that the Bishops should goe backe againe to Trent but vpon strict conditions 1. That the Bishops of Spaine who remained yet still at Trent should first come to Bononia 2. The Emperour should make good that all the States of Germany should absolutly submit themselues to the Councell of Trent 3. That the Fathers to be gathered againe at Trent might haue liberty to depart out of the towne freely and safely when they pleased and to make an end of the Councell when they would thinke good The Emperours Ambassadour Mendoza seeing that his Masters petition was little set by declared that the Councell was not lawfully translated from Trent to Bononia and therfore protested that all things that should bee done there should bee of no force Thus the first meeting of the Councell of Trent vnder Paulus the third had an end and their remaining together at the Councell of Trent was two yeeres The second meeting of the Councell of Trent THe second meeting of Bishoppes in the Councell of Trent was in the dayes of Pope Iulius the third in the month of September anno 1551. In the first Session of the Councell which was kept the first of September Abbas Bollosanus Ambassadour of the King of France appeared declaring that the King was so disturbed with warres within his dominions that he could not send the Bishops of his Land to Trent Next that the King of France acknowledged not the convention kept at Trent for a generall Councell but for a convention gathered for the weale of a few not for the common vtility of all the Church and therefore neither hee himselfe nor the subiects of his kingdome were bound to be obedient to the decrees of that convention The second Session was kept the eleventh day of October wherein the doctrine of Transubstantiation was confirmed yet diverse questions pertaining to those matters were deferted till the comming of the Protestants of Germanie to whome allso they granted their safe conduct The third Session was kept the 25. of November wherein was confirmed that Penance and extreme Vnction were Sacraments of the new Testament The Ambassadours of the Protestants would haue given in the confession of their Faith and summe of their doctrine to the Councell but the Popes Legate repelled them because they did not signifie in the title thereof that they would submit themselues to the Councell In the meane time there was warre in Germany betweene Charles the Emperour and Maurice Duke of Saxonie which was the cause of the hastie dissolution of the second meeting of the Councell of Trent vnder Pope Iulius For the Bishops of Mentz and Cullen made haste to returne to Germany Likewise all the Bishops of Italy hearing that Duke Maurice had taken the town of Ausbrough returned home the Spanish Bishops alone who remained a space behind the rest at Trent assembled themselues together the 29. of Aprill anno 1552. and put off the Councell till a new meeting after the issue of two yeeres or more as should be found meet The third meeting of the Councell of Trent THe Bishops of Spaine supposed that the Councell should haue met againe within two yeeres Neverthelesse there intervened nine yeeres before it could be gathered againe For after the death of Iulius the third vnder whom the second meeting was succeeded Marcellus who lived not aboue the space of 20. dayes in his Popedome and after him Paulus the fourth who governed foure yeeres two moneths and 27. dayes And after him Pius the fourth in whose time this last meeting of the Councell of Trent was appointed Their first Session was kept the 18. day of Ianuary anno 1562. wherein was decreed that the bookes written by diuerse Authors since the springing vp of heresies for so they called the preaching of the Gospell should be viewed and revised and that all who had fallen backe from the vnity of the Church of Rome vnto any kinde of heresie should be exhorted to returne againe with promise of great clemency and indulgence if they would so doe The second Session was kept the 26. day of February anno 1562. wherein certaine persons were specially nominated and chosen to examine those bookes which was suspect of heresie and to report their iudgement backe againe to the Councell Likewise all men were exhorted to resort to the Councell with peaceable hearts voyd of all contention and heate and safe conductors were promised to them who would come thereto In the third and fourth Session nothing was done but the time of keeping the next Session was appointed In the fift Session kept the 26. day of Iuly anno 1562. it was decreed that the Laike people were not bound by an absolute necessitie to communicate vnder both formes of bread and wine But the Church had power to dispose concerning the outward ministration of the Sacraments providing the substance were kept according as they should find expedient for the good of the receiuers The sixt Session was kept the 17. day of September anno 1562. wherin was cōcluded that the whole Masse was a propitiatorie sacrifice for the quicke the dead whosoeuer should say that it was onely a sacrifice of thanksgiving and a commemmoration of Christs death onely are pronounced to be accursed The seventh Session was kept the 15. day of the moneth of Iuly anno 1563. wherein certaine Canons were set forth concerning the Sacrament of Orders and it was accounted a Sacrament of the new Testament In the eight Session it was not onely decreed that mariage is a Sacrament of the new Testament but also the Roman Church assembled at Trent as a troubled Sea that can not rest but cast out her froth and filth to the shore laying aside all shame and due reverence to the Scriptures of God they pronounce all men to be accursed who will not grant that the Church hath power to dispense with the Law of God conteined in the 18. of
Lotharius Conradus Duke of Sueue and sister sonne to the Emperour Henry the fift was elected Emperour and raigned 15. yeeres Henry Duke of Saxonie and Guelphus Duke of Bavaria rebelled against him whom hee easily subdued And hee besieged Guelphus in a towne called Winspergh The men of the towne were saved by the wisedome of the women For they foreseeing that the towne could not endure the strictnesse of the siege they gaue a petition to the Emperour that they might haue liberty safely to depart out of the towne onely with so much as they were able to beare vpon their backs The Emperour supposing they would transport vpon their backs burthens of silver or gold or costly rayment hee condescended to their petition The women preferring the liues of their husbands to all rich treasures came out of the towne every woman bearing her husband on her backe The worthy Emperour admirng the vertue wisedome and piety of the women spared their husbands and would not violate his promise After this the Emperour gathered a great army and set forward to fight against the Turkes and Saracens of whose cruelty against the Christians in Edessa many advertisements were sent to Europe In the way hee conferred with Emmanuel Emperour of Constantinople who with deceitfull promises betrayed the good Emperour Conrad and suffered him not to tarry and get provision of victuals for his army for Emmanuel promised that hee would in all haste send prouision vnto him And while Conradus was besieging Iconium Emmanuel in stead of wholsome victuales sent meale mixed with lyme whereby the army was impoysoned and huge numbers of them died so that Conrad left the siege of Iconium and went backe to Thracia In Ierusalem after Fulco his sonne Baldowin was made the fift King of Ierusalem who repaired Gaza and conquered Askalon and gaue it to the templaries At this time many Christians were in Asia For besides the Emperour Conrad and Lewis King of France Rogerus Count of Sicile all these were sore grieved with the villany done by Emmanuel Emperour of Constantinople and they subdued Corcyra and tooke Corinth and Thebes and the townes of Euboia Conrad and Lewis also went to Ierusalem and ioyned their forces with Baldwin and besieged Damascus but with no good successe After they returned to Europe But the Christians in Asia and Syria dayly decayed in number and courage vntill all the conquered places were reduced againe vnder the dominion of Infidels Fredericus 1. AFter Cunradus Frederike the first surnamed Barbarossâ— was chosen to be Emperour and raigned 39. yeeres He was a man valiant of a quicke Spirit expert in warrefare strong in bodie in Counsel giuing prouident In doing of his affaires magnanimous verie affable to meeke men aâ— enemie to proud persons a man of an excellent wit and mâ— morie whomsoeuer he had once knowne albeit hee had beene absent from him a long space yet the Emperour could call vpon him by his name as if hee had beene dayly conuersant with him He was crowned Emperour by Pope Adrian the 4. to whom hee did this honour when the Pope met him at Sutrium the Emperour lighted off his horse and came on foote to salute the Pope And when our holy father was dismounted from his horse the Emperour did hold his left stirrop in steed of the right and when the Pope was somewhat offended thereat the Emperour softly smiling craued pardon of his ouersight because hee was not accustomed with such seruile offices Before the Coronation of the Emperour Pope Adrian required of him this condition that hee should fight against William Duke of Apulia for recouering of that Dukedome to the Chaire of Rome Neuerthelesse the Pope not expecting the Emperours leasure incited Emmanuell Emperour of Constantinople to driue William Duke of Apulia out of Italie and addressed himselfe and his Cardinals to warrefare hauing first excommunicated William Duke of Apulia On the other part William begged peace from the Pope promising to restore vnto him all that belonged to the chaire of Rome and more also But by the malignant Councel of his Cardinals the Pope would not hearken to conditions of peace hoping to gaine more by warrefare The Duke seeing no hope of peace brought his forces out of Sicile ariued at Apulia and did fight against Emmanuel and did put him to flight This done hee marched foreward toward Benaventure where the Pope and his Cardinalls were expecting victorie But the Duke so strictly pressed the cittie that the Pope and his Cardinals were glad to sue for peace which they refused before The conditions of peace were these that the Duke should invade no possession belonging to the Roman Church and on the other part the Pope should acknowledge William to be King of both Siciles The bad successe of the Popes enterprises was not vnknowne to the Emperour who pondering in his own heart the iniures which his predecessors had suffered by Popes specially in bereauing them of the right of inuesting of Bishops and in sending Ambassadors so frequently to Germanie to the great impouerishing of his dominions whereat the Emperour conceiued such indignation that he charged all Germanie that they should not receiue the Popes Legats in time to come except they were expreslie sent for and that no man should make appellation to Rome also in the Letters sent to the Pope hee prefixed his owne name to the Popes name The Pope tooke all this matter grieueouslie and perswaded the towns of Italie to make defection from the obedience of the Emperour and specially the towne of Millan rebelled against him But Fredericke brought them partly by force and partly by feare vnder his subiection againe In the end the Pope had recourse to the old weapons of his warfare and he excommunicated the Emperour but the Lord suffered not this proud Pope to escape vnpunished for as he was walking with his attendants in a Towne called Anagnia a flie entered into his throte and choked his breath After the death of Adrian the Emperour was not free of trouble in regard of the schisme that fell out in the Roman Church for two Bishops contended for the Popedome to wit Alexander the third and Victor the fourth The Emperour was required to pacifie this schisme who gathered a councel at Papia and desired both the Popes to be present to heare their cause discussed in a lawfull assemblie But Pope Alexander disdained to be iudged of any man and therefore he appeared not before the councell For which cause the Emperour and the councell ratified the election of Victor the 4. Pope Alexander fled to France and cursed both the Emperour and his owne competitor Victor Afterward by money and flatterie powerfull weapons in a declining age he procured such fauour in the Citie of Rome that he was receiued gladly of the most part of the city Pope Victor had ended his life before this time to whom Guido Bishop of Cremona was appointed successour whom they called Paschalis tertius and