desperation and so continued a most myserable man to his death tormented in conscience Paulus Vergerius did also hardlye escape the rigorous hand of this Iohn Casa But to be short it were a tedious thinge to declare at large all the demeanour of this Pope Iulye the thirde in the time of his Iubelie and in the Tridentine councell in establishing the idoll of Lauret and in his quarell braule with the bishop of Armin comptrollour of his house for one peacocke other such like trifles For he delighted much in the eating of peacocks and swynes fleshe but when his Phisitian had giuen him warning that he should forbeare swines fleshe because it was hurtfull for the goute his disease yet Iulius would not forbeare The Phisition therefore gaue councell to the Popes Steward to take order that the Pope should haue no such meate serued at the table Whereuppon the Pope wantinge his dish asked What is become of our bacon The Steward aunswered that the Phisition willed him that hee shoulde not set it on The Pope forthwith violently brast into these wordes sayinge Fetche me my meate hether Al di spetto di Dio as he might say in English In spite of Gods hart This blasphemous outrage is a common phrase amonge ruffians and varlets of Italye in their rage and as coÌ„mon with Pope Iulius as to other beside other lasciuious and vnciuill speach On a time he had at his table a peacocke which was vntouched and therefore he commaunded that it should be kept for him til Supper for I wil quoth he haue certaine of my freindes with me at supper in my garden When supper time came the Pope was serued with hot peacocks but his cold peacocke came not in according to his commaundemeÌ„t And therefore he began according to his custome to blaster out his blasphemyes raginge and raylinge One of the Cardinals that sat at the table sayd I beseeche your holines not to be so highlye offended for so small a matter No quoth Iulius If God were so offended for one apple that he threw our first parentes out of Paradise why shoulde not I that am his Uicar be angrye for my peacocke seing a peacocke is of greater valew then an apple This Iulius caused this sentence to be printed on his coyne Gens regnum peribit quod mihi non inseruit That nacion and kingdome shall perishe which doth not serue me When he shoulde create one Peter Betauus Cardinall certaine of the Cardinals stoode against it vrginge especiallye that the sayd bishop was infected with Luthers heresye What then quoth the Pope were it not better for vs by putting on him the Cardinals hat to purge him of that vncleanes and by that bonde to knit him vnto vs rather then to suffer him by escaping from vs to ioyne wyth oure ennemyes in Germanye as Vergerius hath done After sixe yeares raigne this Pope Iulius died Anno 1555. the xxiii daye of May. Upon whom these verses were made Quò ventum est superi quò vis progessa Diones Quò gula quò luxus quò genus omne mali Ambrosie foetent epulae mareotica sordent Vina nisi Iliacus porrigat illa puer Caetera mens horret meminisse ea discat ab vno Crimine me quisquis legerit atque gemat Among diuers other Epitaphs this was written of him and sent from place to place as followeth Iohannes Maria â— Monte. c. Iohn Maria of the mount by haphazard obteining the papacie in the time that the Cardinalles were at a great braule which he durst neuer presume to hope for In 6. yeres he did shed more Christian bloud then any other Antechrist hath done at any tyme. Fex sacrificulorum grex Episcoporum armentum Cardinalium gratitudinis ergo monimentuÌ„ aeternum posuit Ciuill eares perhap will be offended that a man shoulde â—ere set down the sluttishe behauiour vsed in three pointes by this Pope Iuly euen at open table otherwise then any person of meane modestie would do in priuate chamber As Beza sheweth in this EpigraÌ„ made of this Pope Iuly Ebrius ad mensam quum Iulius ille sederet Impia quem potuit Roma nec ipsa pati Tres pariter fertur pelues habuisse paratas Vt triplici triplex vase leuaret onus Vna alui pondus vomitum altera peluis habebat Tertia uesicae concipiebat onus I nunc pontifices Germania dira negato Omnia clausa suo iura tenere sinu And yet this Pope was he whose auctoritie and supremacie was with all humilitie and deuoute reuerence restored here in England in the yere of our Lorde 1554. by queene Mary From this man Cardinal Poole who before was outlawed and vanished for high treason against king Henry the viij came into England and brought with him this Popes blessinge pardon and absolution For the whiche Cardinal Poole was made Primat of England and Archbyshop of Canterbury Thus the Popes blessing and pardon was receiued by the estate of Englande And Pontacus in his cronicle published Anno. 1572. printed in Louany by Iohn Fowler an Englishman that blotteth much paper to publishe grosse vntruthes for the defamynge of his countrey by him forsaken is not ashamed Folio 179. to reporte but boastingly writeth it that kinge Phillip and Queene Mary with the whole Parliament house did humbly kneele vpon theyr knees to receiue the Cardinals blessinge and absolution from the Popes holynesse But it is well known and the knowledge therof dearely bought by Englande how that noble Queene being otherwise of great wisedome and godly minde yet ouermuche deceyued by ignorance in scripture and putting too great a confidence in the Popes autoritie the antiquitie of her religion and the professours therof did euen of simple zeale yeld the disposition and orderinge of her affayres ouermuch to the crafty clergie who with fyre and faggot followed in England the rygorous example of Iuly practized in Italy against those that dissented from the Popes doctrine But this is both at large set forth in the actes and monuments of the Church and further is not pertinent to this purpose and therefore not here to be mentioned at large Onely this is that whiche I note â–ª to what kinde of person of lyfe and conuersation England in these later dayes submitted it selfe as to his generall Pastour and the vicar of Christ. Of what maner of man we receyued blessinge and absolution so deuoutly whom we did so highly commend honour and reuerence aboue our natural prince with heauenly title of our moste holy father the Pope To whom and to whose seruile yoke our prynce dyd yelde her selfe to be at his commaundement whose curse we feared whose loue and fauour we sought to purchase with infinite treasure whose displeasure caused bothe prynce and people to quake as it were at hel fyer If the person that thus bleared vs be considered I doubte not but we shall firste be ashamed of him secondely ashamed of our selues that we haue thus fallen downe and
the Readers might the easier be searched out being gathered together into one booke and layde out before all mens eyes the which I rather were performed of any man then of me and I had rather taken in hand my contry matters then foraine busines bicause I haue spent my time in vayne But I would not haue stirred vp this hudge puddel of the Romaine historie the which twoe Hercules were not able to clime But hearken what occasion inforced me therto chiefly the exhortatioÌ„ of my frends did draw me into this matter otherwise I refused it bicause my other worke in the Englishe tongue being proper only to English men knoweÌ„ to very fewe did seeme to do small profite to straungers But this being ioyned to it might be a publike commoditie and profitable to the vse of all men and more prouided for in other matters After this I went to it with a good courage and although I did desire that other men whiche were more fit for this matter and more garnished with eloquence should take this matter in haÌ„d Yet I thought that an accompt should be made of my talent and that I had rather to stumble a little then that so great wickednes of Antichriste so great crueltie and inordinate pleasure more and more breaking out and filling all thinges with the stinke therof being omitted of all men should seeme to be detected to fewe or none And if I should seeme to any maÌ„ to speake to frely let him thinke that it doth not procede of the heat of affectioÌ„ but through the knowledge of my coÌ„scieÌ„ce which do not declare things heard or redde only but things knowen by experience who liued 24. yeares in that secte and was present among theÌ„ being no small souldiour of the Pope where what is it that I haue not seene what that I haue not heard whiche is vnworthy of Christ Christians monkes and also of meÌ„ from whose superstitions at that time I was not free but I vtterly abhorred their filthines and mischiefe Wherefore seing that I perceiued many thinges whiche did offend therefore I am nowe compelled to be more diligent in seeking them out and more sharpe in reprouing them seeing they do not repent But sithe these thinges be done haue biene done of this flocke in Italy Sicil Spayne FrauÌ„ce and Englande who doubteth that sheepe will not followe the shepehearde or rather hogges their swyneheard shall we not knowe the father by the childe or the Lion by his talentes when prysons be full of mischiefe shall we thinke that the Romaine court hath none many things haue bene hidden in darkenesse priuie places the which the Sunne hath not seene but tyme the mother of truthe The monasteries being put down in England hath learned to speake and to bewraye them â–ª As for example the registers of the kinges visitatioÌ„ or as they call it the abbrigemeÌ„t of things knowen by experience in the very congregation colleges of the Papistes the which things I sawe them to my great feare and terrour but nowe I possesse them and kepe them to their great ignominie and shame and haue opened a few of them hereafter in the Epistle to the Reader If Ezechiel now should pearce through the wall and should be brought into their entries halles and darke chambers he shoulde not see the Israelites bewayle Thamnum but gelded meÌ„ vnmaried worthy to be woundred at for the godly profession offring their sacrifice to Baalpeor Bacchus Venus And sithe I knowe these thinges to be certayne and true should I not ouerthrowe them should I not make them manifest and openly knowen to all the worlde Truly they will saye that an Englishe man whiche is separated from all other nations dothe certainly knowe what is done at Rome in the secret chambers of the Pope and his Cardinall Shall not I openlye declare for a truth those thinges whiche are declared in Bookes and seene wyth the eyes of the wryter the whiche thinges not the secrete chambers but the princely court not the priuie corners but the open streetes do euidently shew but they deny it not and yet defende it wyth moste wicked Bookes set foorth in their owne tongue the which Christian shamefastnes forbiddeth me to declare The truth therfore ought to be expressed and not couered with visard and disguising but set foorth in his owne kinde not darkened with cloke or sayle cloth but decked finely in his owne collours for they be grosse thinges and may be groped at with handes But so great is the blindnesse of man that at noone daye he can not see and in the clearest Sunne his eyes be darkened This our miserable Realme of Englande may be vnto vs a familiar example for whose sake more willinglye I toke in hande to write this booke that oure Englishe men may see now at the last what a terrible beast they haue receyued into theyr common wealth what a viper they cherishe in their bosome whose hissinge before they could not wel abide do now suffer themselues to be sâ—ong with their tributes to be bitten with their leuying and takinge vp of money to be entoxicated with their idolatrous poyson Unto whom so many kinges so manye noble men did not once obeye whom VVickliffe the moste godliest of hys time did openlye shewe in writing to be Antichrist Whom K. Henry the eyght banished whom Edward the vi that most godlye king cast forth together with all the reliques and dregs of their religioÌ„ Him Queene Mary receyued being thrust in by Cardinall Poole many men litle regarding it manye winking at it as though they saw it not euery man almost allowinge it or at the least with diuers affections filthily reioysing in it It greeueth mee for my countrey sake because they offend God so greatly in forsaking him and in violatinge the oath which they made before to theyr kinges so that now they are compelled to obey at the becke to the newe monstrous cruell gouernment of most wicked Antichriste vnder whom they haue deserued to be oppressed with an idolatrous yoke to be blinded wyth superstition and deuilish Poperye and with a smal assault of the ennemyes to be shamefullye ouercome The which notwithstanding while Gods Religion flourished and Poperye wythered and was wasted away was neyther aflicted with the hand of God neither assaulted with any external power but if it were assaulted yet at no time coulde they conquere it I speake these things most reuerent fathers to my greate griefe and so much the more because I iudge the contempte of the word of God and the gulfe of Romaine filthines to be the cause of the plagues and that Christ beinge troden downe we had rather that the Pope the witch and Circes of the whole worlde not the seruaunt of all seruauntes but the Lorde of all Lords not the Uicar of Christe but the minister of the deuill should treade and skip vpon our shoulders and neckes then we would embrace kisse the sweete yoke the
congregation in the which they may frely call vpon their God sincerely administer the Sacramentes and may fulfill other rites as they were citizens with the priuiledge and highe fauour of the magistrates Happy is that people who enioyeth these thinges and haue so worthy a bishop which gathereth together the dispersed comforteth the broken in heart fauoureth exiles and confirmeth the weake with example and doctrine But perchaunce I may seeme to haue sayde to much to you and to you all most gentle fathers who are troubled with grauer matters and haue no leysure to reade your prayses And indued with suche modestie that you will scarse attende vnto it But beare with me while I doe but my dutie for I prayse not you but the giftes of God that are of you and commende the happy state of your churches vnto the faythful that they may learne to giue thankes and to imitate you I would haue showen the causes why I inscribed to your name the Papall historie of new Rome partly to haue declared my loue towardes you for your benefites bestowed vpon England other countreis Partly that the learning which you haue spread abroade in these days may be defended with your ayde Our Lorde Iesus Christe the prince of sheepeheardes the maister of al truthe the enemy of Antechriste strengthen and confirme you and all your fellowe ministers with the power of the holy ghoste and preserue you in long health to the comfort and ioye of the Christian flocke to the ouerthrowing of Antichriste and the amplifying of his name Amen Iohn Bale Iohn Bale to the Reader I Desire thee Christian Reader vvhosoeuer thou art that delightest in the glory of Christ against the malyce of Antichriste and I beseech thee in the Lord to conster all thinges to the beste euen those matters vvhich seeme to be spoken more bitterly against that mōstrous beast and not to depraue them vvith slaūderings as I vnderstand some of late haue taken occasion to do by my late booke published of the vvriters of Englande Among vvhom some are not ashamed vntrulye to saye that I deale vniustlye vvith some Princes that gouerne the estates of Christēdome Othersome saye that I speake malepertlye and that against all Christiā modestye that I speake vnreuerentlye of Queene Mary of England because in one place I haue vvritten that Iesabell raigneth in Englāde and glutteth her selfe vvith the bloude of Martyrs vvhere as by that name I did not meane Queene Mary but the tyrannie of Rome that miserablye ouerrunneth all Englande For the places in Nicolas Grimoald Traherne Turner the Phisition Hooper ▪ Ridley Rogers Bradford Filpot and other do sufficientlye interprete themselues to be spoken of the greate Antichriste and his mitred and scraped tormentours For as the holye ghoste hath taughte mee I haue called that Romaine Sinagogge the murtherer of Godlye men vvicked Iesabell the horned beast the impe of the Dragō the doughter of the deuill the spouse of Sathan speaking blasphemies the purple beast the misticall Babilon the great strumpet vvith vvhom the kinges of the earth haue cōmitted fornication vvhich haue dronke of the vvyne of her fornication the vvomā cloathed in purple scarlet gould pearles and precious stones hauing a goulden cuppe full of all filthines lustes of the vvorld the mother of fornication and droncke vvith the bloud of the saintes of IESVS CHRIST the habitatiō of deuils and the cage of all euill spirites and hatefull birdes The occasiō vvhich first moued mee herevnto vvas this Anno domini 1554. our Realme of Englande after the xx yeare of her deliueraunce throughe the mercye of God most shamefullye forsooke the holye Gospel of Christe vvhich is the povver and vertue of God to the health of all beleuers made a nevve professiō vnto the great ennemye of God the Romaine deuil and vvicked Antichrist Of the vvhich execrable deede thou shalt read more in the end of this booke Partlye also the horrible vices vvhich follovv this monster vvhereof the most prudent K. Henry the eight had good proofe vvhen he caused the houses of the hooded hypocrites the colleges of the massemongers in his kingdome before their vtter destruction vvhich vvas in the yeare of our Lord God 1538. to be visited by the vvorshipfull doctours of the lavve Thomas Lee Richard Laiton Thomas Bedill Thomas Barthlet the publicke notarie such others In the vvhich there vvere such svvarmes of vvhoremōgers ruffians filthie parsons giltye of sinne against nature Ganimedes and yet votaries and vnmaryed all so that thou vvouldest thincke that there vvere a nevve Gomorrha amonge them The booke of them is called the breuiary of thinges founde out in abbeyes assemblies colleges c. Out of the vvhich booke I vvill shevv but one or other example to an vnsauery tast thereof In the monasterye called Battel abbey in the Diocesse of Chichester these many gilty of sinne agaīst nature vvere foūd in the visitation Iohn the Abbot Richard Salchurst Thomas Cuthberth VVilliam March Iohn Hasting Gregorie Champiō Clemēt VVestfild Iohn Crosse Thomas Crambroke Thomas Basill Iohn Hamfild Iohn Hierome Clemens Grigge Richard Touye and Iohn Austine These vvere incontinente liuers Thomas Lyuet vvyth one maryed vvife one harlot Thomas Cranbroke vvith the same and other beside Lo this is the chast Religion of the Pope At Canterbury amonge the Benedictine monkes these vvere gilty of sinne against nature Richard Godmersham VVilliam Lichfild Christopher Iames Iohn Goldmistone Nicolas Clement VVilliam Causton Iohn Ambrose Thomas Farlegh and Thomas Morton VVhoremongers Christopher Iames aforesaide vvith three maried vvomen and Nicolas Clement vvith one harlot In the Abbey of S. Augustine these vvere found vnchast Iohn the Abbot vvith one vvoman Iohn Langdan vvith tvvo Iohn Langport vvith one Richarde Compton vvith one VVilliam Reynsforth vvith one VVilliā Godmerstone vvith tvvo Dauid Franckes vvith tvvo Robart saltvvood one Laurence Goldstone one VVilliam Holingborne one VVilliā Milton one Iohn Shrevvsbery one and Thomas Barhā gilty of sinne against nature In the abbey of Bath amonge many other Richard Lincombe had vii harlots iij. maryed vvomen and iiii singlevvomen and he vvas giltye of sinne against nature also VVilliam Benushon had xi harlots beside diuers gilty of sinne against nature In the abbey of Monkenferlege in Salisbury diocesse Levvis the Prior had 9. harlots Richard the Prior of Mayden Bradley had v. harlots and sixe bastardes VVilliam the Abbot of Bristovve had iiij harlots iij. vnmaried one maryed Thomas Abbot of Abingtō beside his ovvne naturall sister of vvhom he begat tvvo children had three other harlots and this mā vvas the father of many that vvas gilty of sin against nature In the abbey of Sulbred in the diocesse of Cicester George VValden Prior had vij harlots Iohn Standney vij Nicolas duke v. Henry Selvvood tvvo vvith many others Iohn Blanke Prior of Bermondsey had xi harlots At the castel of VVyndsor Henry VVoodvvard had very many harlots Nicolas VVhyden had iiij George VVhitthorne v. Nicolas
the Brytaines had receiued more sincerely of Ioseph the churches of Asia But to thrust vpon them the Romain religion patched vp with mans diuices and tradicions The Britaynes had always the preaching of the truthe syncere doctrine and the liuely faith and such seruice as was deliuered to the Apostles by Gods commaundement They had Christian churches whereof Godfrey of Munmuthe in the eight booke and fourth chapiter of the actes of the Britaines sayth thus In the contrey of the Britaines Christianitie florished hetherto which neuer failed among them since the Apostles time But when Augustine came hee founde in their prouince seuen bishoprikes and one Archebishoprike maintained by godly Prelates and many Abbots liuing by their handy labour among whome the Lordes stocke kept true waye It appeareth also that there were shepeherdes among theÌ„ that were diligent to preserue the puritie of doctrine as was Dionotus Anonius and his fellowes who in conteÌ„pt of the Romaines ceremonies stacke stoutly to it euen to the death Augustine entred the lande not with the Gospell of Christian peace but with the banner of his Aposticship with his syluer crosse his Letanie his procession images painted puppettes reliques canticles and bookes of ceremonies But when by the authoritie of the king in the west part of England he sommoned the byshops and doctours that they accepting and communicating the Romaine customes should submitte them selues to him Anno. 602. They going to the synode did firste demaunde of a certaine wise man that liued solitarely whether it was laweful to followe his commaundement and forsake those tradiâ—ions whiche they had receiued of their fathers to whome hee aunswered If he be a maÌ„ of God followe him They further asked howe they should proue that Ye knowe quoth he that the Lord commaunded saying Take my yoke vpoÌ„ you and learne of me because I am gentle and lowlye of harte Therefore if this Augustine be suche an one it is credible that he also beareth Christes burtheÌ„ and offereth it to you to beare but if he be proude and cruell it is euideÌ„t tha he is not of God and ye ought not to regarde his talke And howe shall we knowe that quoth they Let Augustine quoth he and his company goe firste to the Synode And if when ye come he ryse vp to salute you knowe ye that he is Christe his seruaunt and obey ye him But if he disdayne you or make smale accompt of you and shewe no token of curtesie in his countenaunce seing ye are the greater number doe ye likewyse contemne him Therfore when they came to Augustine sitting ambiciously on his stalle and sawe that he gaue them no token of frendship they by and by conceiuing displeasure noting him to be a proude persone did forthwith ouerthwart euery thing that he put forth For he charged them that they did many thinges coÌ„trary to the custome of the catholicke churche especially in keping their Easter in ministring of baptisme and in their preaching and that they regarded not mans tradicioÌ„s and he commaunded that in these and other thinges they should followe the vse of the church of Rome But they aunswered that they would do none of these neither take him for their Archebishop Whereupon he promised them warre should ensewe and threatned them fiercely to reuenge it by death whiche immediatly ensued Reade Beda in his ecclesiasticall history of Englande the seconde booke and the second chapter and likewyse the sayde Godfrey But I wonder muche of this crueltie of Augustine For Gregorie before had so discussed it and wrote vnto him that it was not nedefull in all churches to haue the same order of ceremonies but that euery churche might ordaine the beste for it selfe But suche was wonte to be the tyranny of hypocrites whereof Mantuan saythe The fathers of the Latin churche to taxe they enterprise And make them fondly force the Britains bend vnto the guise Of Romish church against al right with foolish hardines They rashly cause the auncient league of amitie to cease â–ª As touching peace they saye that Rome should rather make then marre To kepemans lawe so that Christes lawe therby do neuer larre And faith with doctrine whiche allowed by the firste Synode was As it from Christe the light of life to all mankinde did passe And to speake in fewe wordes the Romaine bishops were starres euen hetherto yet but falling from Christes right hande to the grounde from whome the heauen departed Apocal. 6. and they are prefigured by the redde horse vnto whose ryder power was geuen to take awaye peace from the earth and to murther to and fro whereupon as in the firste order the Romaine Prelates called bishops by their true ministring the worde of God and constant faith were starres abiding in Christe his right hande so in this second sort vnder the name of Archebishops and Patriarkes by the neglecting of the same woorde and their earthly affections they were starres falling to the earth Apocal. 6. But in the thirde ranke whiche shall followe vnder the name of Popes and Antichristes for their absolute reuolting from Christe and open idolatries they shal be the starres falling from heauen to the earthe Apoc. 9. THE THIRDE Booke ¶ Nowe ensueth the thirde sorte of Romaine bishops coming from euill to worse For as the former company in the seconde booke shewed declining from pure Christianitie and enclining to Antichriste so now appeareth in these that the seede sowed by the forainer is groweÌ„ vp Antichrist as it were appearing aboue the grounde who grewe still forwarde froÌ„ grenenesse to ripenesse as shall appeare by these that followe and so from ripenesse to rottennesse which is to be hoped for in that already he is wexed so mellowe that if he be not plucked from the tree if it please God to sende a smale blaste of winde he will fall of him selfe Note therfore diligently gentil Reader what fruite ensueth and springeth of the former grayne Reade conferre and then iudge whether these men shewe them selues to be the vicars of Christe or deceitful and mischeuous Antechristes for bye their fruites ye shall knowe them whether they are suche as they would be accompted Abadon or the Latin Antichriste IN the yeare of our Lorde sixe hundreth and foure Phocas the tyrant murthered his soueraigne lord Mauricius the Emperoure with his wife his brother his children and many nobles From this yere adding to it two yeres to the beginning of the Popedome established by Phocas are sixe hundred sixty sixe yeares from the coÌ„sulship of M. T. Cicero and Antonius as Bibliander Funccius and other do euidently recken it at whiche time the Iewes while their bishops iarred for supremacie lost their libertie For Christe as Bibliander gathers in his reuelation whiche by his dearely beloued Apostle Iohn he deliuered to the church foare tolde that a certaine tyrannicall Empier should afflicte the true church as Nero and Domician with others did And calleth the beaste hauing two hornes like a lambe
which time it is manifest to all the world that Rome had the soueraignitye and Empyre of all the world and that it was then the great Cittie and none but it of whom this might be said neither is it knowen that anye other Cittye is or hath bene built vppon seuen hilles And that Rome is so it appeareth by diuers writers Romaines and other that report it as they haue seene it Amonge other Munster in his Topographie doth not only in the descriptioÌ„ of Rome testifie that there are seuen hilles but also sheweth the names of them euerye one which are these Auentinus Capitolinus Palatinus Caelâ—us Exquilinus Viminalis and Quirinalis hill Properâ—ius the Poet confirmeth it briefely in a verse saying thus of Rome Septem vrbs alta iugis toti quae presidet orbi the like hath Virgil in hys Georgicks Septem quae vno sibi muro circundedit arces speakinge it of Rome Mantuan in his Fast. li. 2. doth in like maner describe Rome calling it RomuleaÌ„ septem cuÌ„ Collibus vrbem So of the Grekes it is called Heptalophos wherin Hepâ—a signifieth 7. and lophoâ— an hil head or top This Vitellianus commaunded shauings and annointings of the clergye to be vsed geuing vnder these markes liceâ—s to buy and sell pardons in the Churche as was prophesyed of Antichrist after he had choaked the Church with much palcry he dyed At this time at the fulnesse of Antichrist moÌ„kery grew into superstitious estimation At this time also these two straunge thinges were wrought Abbeis were first founded for monkes kinges were shaued and made monkes 12. Theodatus the second THeodatus the second a Romaine borne was made Pope beinge but a monke He bestowed great cost to make a sumptuous abbey of that from whence he came He gaue licence to moÌ„kes to transport Benedict Nursin patriarcke of his own order with a scholesister of theirs from Cassim mount into Fraunce At this time were manye straunge thinges as a blasinge starre appearing 3. monethes continually with great raine often thonders with a strauÌ„ge Rainbowe and earthquakes suche as the like were neuer heard of And some say that the corne being beaten downe with these strauÌ„ge tempests of raine did spring vp againe and grew to ripenesse For these thinges Theodatus caused prayers often to be said and dyed Anno 675. 13. Donus the first DOnus the firste was made Pope in a miserable tyme when the fieldes and the corne were burnt vp with thoÌ„der lightninges and showers He as Popes vse beautified S. Peters porche with pillers And after he had punished certaine Nestoria heretikes he scattered theÌ„ in diuers abbeis in Italy He restored certayne olde churches he deuided the Clergie into diuers orders and aduaunced them with seuerall kindes of honour and dignitie After muche controuersie he made subiect to Rome Rauennas churche Theodorus the Archebishop therof agreing to it through the Popes flattery whiche churche before was called Alliocephalis After he had done many â—uche dedes he died Anno. 679. 14. Agathon the first AGathon the first as Gratian writeth Distinct. 19. being a Monke of Sicill coÌ„maunded that the Popes decrees should be taken for as canonicall and authenticall as the Apostles wrytings So he gaue as great auctoritie to the masse whiche was clouted together by sondry Popes But wickedly he coÌ„demned the mariage of ministers of the Latine churche He sent one Iohn a Monke and Archedeacon of Rome into Englande Anno 679. to teache them here the manner of their reading singing ceremonies in their churches And the better to vtter his knackes of celebrations and sacrifices as Beda wryteth in his fourth booke 18. chapter de Gestis Anglorum He â—ent his Oratours Iohn bishop of Portua and Iohn Deacon of the Romaine churche to the sixt Sinode of Constantinople and against the Monothelites he sent one Agathus In the whiche Sinode the Clergie of the Greke churche were allowed mariage and the Latin churche forbidden it Also among other thinges then done the eight daye after Easter Anno 681. the said Iohn of Portua did first of al say the Latin masse openly before the Prince and the Patriarke and people of Constantinople all men allowing it for nouelties sake as a newe founde thing whiche taking roote hereupon was receiued in all churches whiche helde vpon the Pope In this Popes time after straunge Eclipses both of Sunne and Moone was a Pestilence so contagious in Rome that the Pope him selfe died thereof The seate then was vâ—yde a yeare and a halfe 15. Leo the second LEo the seconde was a Monke very learned as well in Greke as in Latin and so skilfull in Musick that hee brought the notes of the Psalmes and Hymnes to better harmonie He coÌ„firmed the sixt Synode partly to establishe the masse partly because by it also the Clergie of the West churche were forbidden mariage He translated into Latin the ordinaunce of mariage He appointed that the Pax shoulde be borne aboute and be kissed of the people while masse was saying Also that if neede did require there shoulde be Christening euery daye He would haue for their sake of Rauenna no election of any bishop to stande in force vnlesse hee were first confirmed by the bishop of Rome But sayth VVicelius without payinge for his pall or anye other money which saith Platina I would it were kept still in Rome for out of this bribing at this day many mischieues aryse For as yet they durst not enterprise wholly such polling as they did afterwarde aboute 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yeares after Christe for in time past the vi Princes of Italye did confirme the bishops of Italy yea and the Pope him selfe Afterwarde the Emperour Constantine the fourth agreing thereunto the election was againe ratified in the handes of the Clergie and the Laitie But the Prelates of Rauenna being emboldened because that the court of the sixe states was among theÌ„ would not obey the churche of Rome but auouched that they were egall in dignitie And thus Foelix being their bishop after Theodorus went about to shake of the Popes yoke and to recouer their lost libertie But the Emperour that was then Iustinian sonne of the sayde Constantinus being set on by Leo with standeth the purpose of Foelix and after he had by assaulte wonne the towne he boared out the byshops eyes with a whot burning iron Leo before the ende of his tenne monethes died Anno. 685. in which time the moone was in a moÌ„sterous and straunge Eclipse appearing as redde as bloud all the night long diuers nightes together 16 Benedictus the second BEnedict the second whose holinesse they said moued the Emperour Constantine the fourth if they father not a falsehode on him after his death to decree that henceforth the Pope of Rome should haue authoritie ouer the people without the licence of the Emperoure or the sixe states of Italy whiche lasted not long He reedified diuers temples enriching them with vessels of golde syluer and guilt with coapes of
and that he that had deuorced other men from theyr wiues and honest matrimonye liued in whoredome with another mans wyfe Also this Gregory iudged to death three men before they were conuict or confessed theyr cryme without the sentence of anye seculer Iudge and caused them to be hanged forthwith Another time he cast Centius the sonne of a Senatour into prison being his especial friend caused him to be tormented rolled in a barrel of sharpe nayles till he was almost dead But Centius escaping apprehended the sayde Hildebrand and mighte haue quitted his quarrel yet the people disappointed him but the Pope ere he were deliuered sware openlye that he would forgeue him and the rest that had apprehended him But being at libertye contrarye to his oath he reuenged it causing Centius and ix of his company to be hanged for it the other he condempned to banishment and among them the sonne of a widow who after the yeare of his vanishment was expyred did returne was led with an halter about his necke by his mother to Gregorie whoÌ„ the mother for full satisfaction desired to take her sonne and deliuer him againe as a new purged maÌ„ But Gregorie had hanged him but that the Iuâ—tices â–ª coÌ„sidering the penaunce that he had done were more iuste and wyse and refused to do it and therefore Gregorie in a rage commauÌ„ded one of his feete to be cut of wherof the yongmaÌ„ dyed wythin fiue dayes to the great griefe of the poore wydowe his mother Abbas Vspergensis other write thus It is manifest say they that this Hildebrand was not chosen by God but intruded himselfe by money guile who tossed the ecclesiastical estate vpside downe and troubled the kingdome of Christen Empier practised to murther the quiet Prince defended oath breakers fostred debate sowed discentioÌ„ raysed offences made deuorcemeÌ„ts and disordered euery thing that seemed to be well among the godlye He was the first that put the ministers of the Church from their wyues by excommunicatioÌ„ He moued broyles through Fraunce Germany and Englande tedious to be tolde This deuorcement of ministers wiues did offende a great nomber of learned men at that time for in Germanye and Fraunce there were yet xxiiii and more bishops who wyth the clergye of theyr Diocesse were then maryed and did stoutly maintayne theyr mariage still beside those that were in England Italye Amonge other things Gregorie commaunded the Saturday to be fasted He canonized Pope Liberius sainte who was an ArriaÌ„ heriticke also he apointed an holye daye in reuerence of him He toke awaye the Crowne from the kinge of Poland He condemned Berengarius opinion againste reall presence was the first that is noted to haue established the doctrine of transubstantiatioÌ„ He condemned a layman of sacrilege that should reape the commoditye of tenthes as of impropriat parsonages but condemned him of heresye that inuested a priest and him of Idolatrye that should take a benefice of a layman These and other like attemptes gaue Hildebrand whereby hee made the Popes leaden blade to hew asonder almost the Emperours iron sworde Many of the clergye as 14. Cardinals beside diuers bishops other did so abhorre the detestable treachery of this coniurer Gregorie that they forsoke him for shame his villanyes were so manye and so monstrous encreasinge dailye In steedâ— of God he serued the deuill of Princes whom he shoulde honour hee made worse then slaues finallye as his name was Hildebrand so in deede he was an helly brande to all Christendome tormoyled by his meanes with rebellions treasons murders c. But at the length Henry the Emperour began to set himselfe against the Popes practises and in the yeare of Christ 1083. in a Synode at Brixia layinge his treacheryes to his charge hee did depriue him of his place and appointed another in his steede whom hee called Clement the thirde He sent his armye to Rome to driue out Gregorie and to establishe this Clement and by his longe siege he brought Rome to so great penurye that they were compelled to sue for peace But Hildebrand because he would not come in the Emperours sighte beinge reiected forsaken of the Romaynes fled to Salerne wher he ended his wretched life in great miserye Anno 1086 Antonius and Vincentius shewe that this Hildebrand euen at the latter gaspe called to him a certaine Cardinal and confessed to him that he had haynouslye offended because at the deuils enticemeÌ„ts he had sturred vp hurlye burlies hatred and warres among many and bad the cardinal go to desire the Emperour to pardon him Diuers meÌ„ wrote against him his vile life as CaÌ„didus a Cardinall VValramus bishop of Niemburg Venericus bishop of Vercellen Rowland priest of Parmen Sigebertus Gemblacensis Also of this Gregorie it is said that he neuer weÌ„t without a booke of coniuring about him 99. Victor the thirde VIctor the third abbot of Cassa was made Pope not by the election of the Romaynes or Cardinals but was thrust in by the ayde of his harlot Mathilda and the Normans that were of his faction He being established began to defende Gregories prankes against the Emperour and Clement appointed by him but the hastines of hys death shortened his mallice who as Hermannus Contractus Carsulanus Praemonstratensis and sondrye other testifye was poysoned by his deacoÌ„ who at masse time put the poyson into the challice against that Pope should receiue it Diuers wonders are reported to haue happened at that time as of tame birds geese cockes hennes pigions pecocks flewe into the mountaynes and became wild houge store of fishe died in the Sea diuers Cityes were so shaken w t earthquakes so as the greater Pallas at Syracuse falling downe did slaye all that were then in the Church sauing a couple 100. Vrban the second VRban the seconde an Hetrurian borne called Otho before was made Pope by the harlot Mathilda and the Norman Lords in Apulia in dispite of the Emperour This is a scholer of Hildebrand whom for followinge his maisters steppes Benno calleth a blind guide a sciesmaticke an heriticke and companion of Liberius the Arrian hereticke He watred those graftes of mischiefe which Gregorie had planted and was therefore called the turmoyler of the world by descantinge of his name and in steede of Vrban calling him Turban He excommunicated Clement the seconde established by the Emperour and also the Emperour for establishinge of him procured manye forsworne rebels both nobles and commoners to conspire againste him and likewyse the same Clement as being Pope did againe excommunicate him as an vsurper wherevppon it moued many reasonings amonge both spirituall temporall who should be right Pope And these controuersyes were tossed both in Germanye and other countryes But when Vrban would absolue none whom Gregorie had excommunicated he was fayne for feare of his life to flie by stealth from Rome He held fiue couÌ„cels in sondrye places and all for the establishing of Gregories
time Anacletus sought wyth spendinge and brybinge to winne and confirme all mens good wills towarde him that anye way seemed to fauour him He made Roger kinge of both Sicils to be his freinde Innocentius was busye on the other syde to recouer the Popedome therefore held a councell in Fraunce and condemned Anacletus for an ennemye of the Church Afterward he went to Philip kinge of Fraunce and crowned his sonne Lewes then he wente to Carnotus where he met with Henry the first kinge of Englande perswading with him to send an armye against the Sarracens that kept the holye lande but his purpose was to haue vsed that army for the recouering of his Popedome From him he went to Lotharius kinge of Germanye desyringe him to see him restored Lotharius gyuinge his oath to the Pope prepared an armye to conducte Innocent safe to Rome So Lotharius entred into Italye wyth a puissante armye to restore Innocent to hys place and comminge to Rome deuided his hoast and entred into the Citye ouerthrewe Anacletus with duke Roger and set Innocētius safe in Lateran Innocentius therefore to shew himselfe thanckfull crowned Lotharius Emperour and gaue to Reginold his chiefest Captayne the Dukedome of Apulia that was none of his owne to bestow and all that Roger possessed in Italy ▪ But Reginold dyed soone after and then Roger claymed his right againe and because the Pope withstoode him he toke him againe his Cardinals sodenly ere that they wist would neuer let them depart vntill they had graunted him his whole desire yea to make him kinge of both Sicils and so since that time the kingdome of Sicill is called S. Peters patrimonye But sayth Nauclerus much mischiefe arose vp hereof because the Pope woulde thus take vppon him the bestowinge of Princelye titles robbinge the Emperours of that righte which they had gotten by the sworde Innocentius made a lawe that whosoeuer should strike an annointed priest or shauen clarke shoulde be excommunicated to be absolued onelye by the Pope after this hee dyed Anno 1143. In this Popes time Steuen Kinge of Englande Anno 1136. kept to himselfe and vsed in his owne power the inuesture of prelates And Lotharius the Emperour would haue reclaymed that to himselfe which the Pope toke from Henry the Emperour but that S. Bernard being then of great credite disswaded him About this time was VVilliam bishop of Yorke called S. VVilliam of Yorke who was poysoned in his challice by his Chapleynes 106. Celestine the second CElestine the second a Thuscan succeded Innocent by the commaundement of Conradus his life was so shorte that he could not play the Pope like other At this tyme was a great contagious plague through out al Italy Celestine dyed in the sixt month of his Popeship In his time the bishop of VVinchester in Englande helde a councell where was concluded that if any man abused eyther Church or Churchyard or layde hand on an Ecclesiasticall person he shoulde be excommunicate to be absolued onelye by the Pope 107. Lucius the second LVcius the second borne in Bononia succeded Celestine He was the cause auctor of much discension in Rome for deposing and disanullinge a kinde of office called Patricianship which the Romaynes being weary of the Popes yoke had made in the time of Innocentius because the Popes toke vppon them all swaye within the Citye abroade likewise But this Pope Lucius because he was not able to depose the Patrician alone craued ayde of the Emperour Conradus whoe beinge otherwise busied coulde not assiste him Lucius therefore soughte to attaine his purpose another waye for when the Patrician the Senatours were all gathered together close in the Capitol Lucius toke his oportunitye and came thither with a bande of souldiours in armour meaninge either to destroye the Capitoll or to driue them out The Cityzēs hearing hereof armed them selues forthwith and ranne to succour theyr officer whervppon roose a very bloudye fraye Pope Lucius beinge in the middest of the broyle was so pelted with stones and other lumpes that sone after he dyed therof Anno 1145 ere he had raigned a yeare 108. Eugenius the third EVgenius the thirde sometime an abbot was made Pope by this meanes w t the consente of the Cardinals This Eugenius was scholer to S. Barnard who for his learning was then in great reuerence and cōsidering the time how the Romaynes wrangled to haue auctoritye in the electiō of the Pope they thoughte it safest and surest for the maintenaunce of the Popes auctoritye to chose none of the Colledge of Cardinals but this Eugenius that it mighte be a cause why his scholemaister Barnarde shoulde aduaunce the Sea of Rome in his wrytinges and so it fell out as it appeareth in his 2. booke of Considerations Eugenius at his first creation perceyued the Romaynes woulde be importunate to haue the election of theyr Senatours ratifyed and therefore hee fled wyth his Cardinals from Rome by night to Viterbium where he excommunicated all the Romaynes which caused the Citizens to obeye Iordan chosen Patrician then he ioyned his armye with the hoast of the Tiburtines olde ennemyes to Rome so compelled the Romaynes to sue for peace which he graunted at length vppon condition that they should fullye abolish the principalitye of the Patrician and shoulde restore his deputye to his former place and for hereafter shoulde be contente to take suche Senatours as hee by his Papall auctoritye would assigne them Peace beinge thus concluded he returned into Rome but perceyuing afterwarde that falsehoode was mente towarde him he slipt againe to Tiburie the Romaynes pursued him forthwith with bowes and bils and draue him from Tiburie into Fraunce And at length he returned to Rome and there dyed Anno 1152. 109. Anastasius the fourth ANastasius of a Cardinall became Pope wherein hee did nothinge worthye memorye but that hee bestowed vppon Lateran a riche and massye Chalice and bestowed cost in repayringe S. Maries Churche and so dyed the seconde yeare of his Popeship Anno 1154. This Anastasius after the death of one Henry Mordachus a proud mōke whom Pope Eugenius intruded restored S. Williā archbishop of Yorke which William was afterward poysoned in the Challice comminge to receiue the Communion as Mattheus Parisius sayth In this Popes time y Thames at London was so frozen the cartes and waynes passed ouer the I se and a litle before were two Eclipses one of the Sunne and the other of the Moone after which followed terrible tempestes stormes thonder lightninges raine and winde 110. Hadrian the fourth HAdrian the fourth was an Englishmā borne called Nicolas Breakespeare the sonne of one Dan Robert a mōke of S. Albanes he was first a reguler priest afterwarde a bishop then a Cardinall and finallye Pope of Rome He being chosen by the clergye at Rome would not ascende take the place vntill they had consented vnto him that one Arnold bishop of Brixia whom he counted an hereticke should be banished
by night to Caieta afterward to Beneuent last of all in the 17 yeare of his Popeship he came to Venice disguised in the apparell of one that was his cooke where lurking in an abbey he became a Gardener A while after he was bewrayed and knowne and there vpon calling a councell by the commaundement of duke Sebastian he was receyued with great honour and brought into S. Maryes Church w t pontificall pompe The Emperour hearing that the Pope was at Venice desyred the Venetians to yeld to him his ennemye being likewyse the ennemye of the common wealth The Venetians denyed to do it therefore the Emperour sente his sonne Otho with a nauye of souldiours to demaund Alexander of them but he charged him withall that he should attempt nothing in any case till he himselfe were come vnto him But Otho being a lustye yonge Prince ful of courage and desirous of renowne neglecting his fathers commaundement would needes encounter the Venetians whereby hee was ouercome taken prisoner bounde brought to Venice Herevpon Alexander began to set vp his crest and put out his hornes and woulde not take peace with the Emperour in anye case vnlesse the Emperour would come to Venice take suche conditions of peace as hee woulde offer him Whereuppon the good and carefull father to prouide for the infortunate miserye of his sonne promised hee woulde come at the time appointed and so came where they commoned vppon conditions of peace But the Pope woulde not absolue the Emperour of excōmunication till he came to S. Markes Church where before all the people Pope Alexander commaunded the Emperour to prostrate himselfe on the ground and to craue pardon The Emperour did as hee commaunded him then the Pope trode on the Emperours necke with his foote sayinge it is written Thou shalt walke vppon the serpent and adder and shalt treade downe vnder rhy feete the Lion and dragon The Emperour disdayninge this reproche aunswered It was not sayd to thee but to Peter The Pope then treadinge downe his necke againe sayde Both to mee and to Peter The Emperour then fearing some daunger durst saye no more so the peace was concluded The conditions wherof are these that the Emperour should vphold Alexander to be true Pope that he should restore all that did belonge to the Church of Rome which had beene taken away in the warres Thus the Emperour departed with his sonne The Pope to shew himselfe thankfull to Venice bestowed of his liberality giftes vppon duke Sebastian the Senate First he gaue them a white Taper which onely the Popes vsed to Beare Secondlye he lycensed them to seale theyr letters with leade and he graunted theyr Duke the third seate in the Popes Theatre Fourthly he graunted that on Ascention daye they should haue whole and perfit pardōs for euer at S. Markes Church Fiftly he gaue the Duke viii banners of silke and an attier for the head like an hat Afterward Alexander depriued the bishop of Papia of his Pall exempted him of the dignitye of caryinge the Crosse because he toke the Emperours part He made many Canons in a councel at Lateran as that an archbishop should not receyue his Pall vnlesse he had sworne first to be true and obedient to the Pope And that a man should not marrye his brothers wyfe beinge wydowe that they that toke orders should vowe chastetye that a bastarde should not be made a bishop that the canonizinge of Saincts belonged onlye to the Pope that such sainctes should haue deuine honour Amonge other he made Thomas Becket archbishop of Canterbury a rancke traytour to his prince but stoutlye vpheld therein by the Pope a sainct He bounde kinge Henry the seconde of Englande excusing himselfe of the death of Thomas that his subiectes should franklye freely appeale frō him to the Court of Rome that afterward none should be king of England vnlesse he were first called king by the Pope This arose vppon the quarel betwene the king and Thomas Becket who so vexed and disquieted his soueraigne prince with all the nobles and prelates of this Realme with cursinges excommunications interditinges threatninges mouing both French kinge Pope to moleste the kinge in his behalfe and finallye as then Pope Alexander played the incarnate deuill against the Emperour so did Becket rage like a subdeuill against the kinge in England till certaine not able to endure his arrogante seditious and trayterous doinges in great despite therof slue him at Canterbury He decreed that a mā shoulde not be deuorced frō his wyfe though she had the Leprosye Also that those that could be proued vsurers shoulde neyther be admitted to the Communion nor buryed in the Church after these other like deedes he dyed Anno 1181. Robert Montēsis Chronicle hath that Lewes king of Fraūce and Henry kinge of Englande wayted on Pope Alexander as his gentlemē vsshers and footemen the one leading his horse by the bridle on the right syde and the other on the left throughe the whole City Taciacū to Legeris In this Popes time the Sunne was Eclipsed and earthquakes were euery where Also there were certaine called VValdenses who defended manye articles against the Pope and his doctrine as transubstantiation Purgatorye c. 112. Lucius the thirde LVcius the thirde borne in Thuscia of an honourable stocke succeded by consente of all the Cardinals But the Romaynes so vexed him that hee was driuen oute of the Citye and manye of his frendes and companye taken by the Romaynes some were set vppon Asses with their faces towardes the tayle and Miters on their heades and so ledde throughe the Citye in mockadge some vsed despitefullye otherwyse Some had their eyes put oute by the Romaynes in a madnes othersome murthered for this cause onelye that he wente about to take away the name of Consuls in the Citye The Pope sufferinge this great shame wente to Verona where in a councell he condemned the Romaynes doinges and euen then when the Christians were persecuted in Asia which pretence of holines wrought the perill of many that they might be succoured because the ennemyes were emboldned to wast the bolye lande vnder their Captaine Saladinus presuminge for that our Princes were at discētion This Pope being mindfull of his coūtrye Thuscia bestowed large giftes vppon it and obtayned of the Emperour that the Hetruriās should haue the selfe same coyne that the Lucēsians amōg them had euen as the Lombards had onelye the money of Papia with the Emperours coyne Valerius Anselmus wryteth that this Pope contrarye to other allowed the Sacraments that were done by whoremaister chapleins he dyed in Verona Anno 1185. In his time were greate earthquakes which did destroye diuers notable Cityes in Sicil were destroyed thereby fiue and twentye thousand parsons The Armenians being at this time at greate debate with the Greeke Church did for hatred thereof become subiect to the Church of Rome 113. Vrbanus the thirde VRbanus who because of his
of none effecte It is sayd before that this Pope Celestine did crowne the Emperour Henry the sixte which because it was done after so straunge a sort as hath not beene hearde it shall not be amisse briefely to declare the maner of it as it is reported by Rogerus Houedenus Ranulphus Rogerus Cestrensis and other of whom the first liued at that time reportinge it as followeth The Pope was going froÌ„ Lateran to S. Peters Church where the Emperour and his wyfe Constantia mette him in the way but the Romaynes did shut the gates against the Emperour Empresse comming with a great troupe of armed souldiours And Celestine standinge vppon the stayres of S. Peters Church toke an oath of the Emperour his armye being shut out that he should defend and restore the libertyes and patrimonye of the Church to the vttermost yeldinge to Rome the Citye Tuscalanum After this he did annoynte him Emperour and her Empresse in the Church while he sitting in his pontificall chayre and holding the Emperiall crowne betweene his feete caused the Emperour to stoupe and bowe downe his heade to his feete so put the crowne on And it being thus put on he caused the Emperour stil to hould downe his head while he with his foote did spurne the Crowne of his head againe sayinge I haue power to make and vnmake Emperours at my pleasure Then the Cardinals toke it vp and sette it vppon the Emperours head And in like maner the Empresse was both crowned and vncrowned with the Popes foote Celestine dyed Anno. 1198. In his time one Cyrill an Hermite had a strange vision reuealed vnto him as hee was at masse as MantuaÌ„ writeth Fastorum lib. 5. if a man will beleeue euery vaine fantasye As Cyrill in his holye weede was earlye saying masse Beholde a child with glorious shape before him present was And houering in the ayre on hye with siluer plate in hand Which he vppon the alter layde where Cyrill still did stand And sayd vnto him holye sâ—er God doth to the disclose These secretes and do thou reueale vnto the Romaynes those The written verses out of Greeke he turnes to latine tongue Which straite were set in scholes and yet are cited vs amonge But touching the truth of this fantasticall dreame it shall folow in Gregorie the ix for that age toke into credit three straunge monstrous myracles so that then the worlde did greatlye esteeme of the secte of begginge fryers while Sathan wrought in Antichrist the full mistery of his iniquitye The myracles are these first the vpholding of Lateran Church reuealed in a vision to a Dominicke Fryer at Rome the fiue Seraphical woundes of S. Fraunces in a certaine hill of Lauernia and the Oracle of this Cyrill 117. Innocentius the thirde AFter Celestine was InnoceÌ„tius the third who so boyled in anger agaiÌ„st Philip the Emperour because he was made Emperour by the Germaynes contrary to his will that he brast out into these wordes Eyther shall the Pope spoile Philip of his Crowne and Empyre or els shal Philip take froÌ„ the Pope his Apostolical dignitye After this hee sturred vp against the Emperour one Otho a duke both boulde and rashe so that by this holye fathers helpe there grewe cruell bloudshed and foule slaughter infinite vntill that this Philip the Emperour was traytecouslye and vilanously slaine by another Otho and this Otho whom the Pope had set on against Philip poasted to Rome and of him was made Emperour But this bloudy league did not last long betwene them for as sone as Otho began to reclaime recouer such thinges as of right beloÌ„ged to the Empyre which the Popes by subtil practises had purloyned many yeres he was excoÌ„municated by the Pope himselfe and spoyled of all his royall estate furthermore he discharged al his Princes of theyr alledgeaunce which by oath they ought to Otho and commauÌ„ded vppon payne of his cruell curse that no man should take Otho to be Emperour nor call him so and caused the Princes to make Fredericke king of Sicill Emperour Also this Innocent Anno 1212. sought to compasse three harde matters that is the deposing of Otho a voyage to Hierusalem and a general councel Also the same yeare sayth Vlricus Mutius certaine noble men of Alsatia did condemne this Pope of impietye because he would not suffer the clergye to keepe their wyues the bishops burned an hundred in one daye because they taught that Christians might lawfullye eate fleshe and marrye at any time This mischeuous Innocent did mischeuouslye contriue many cruell tragedyes against king Iohn of Englande he euen in despite and defiance of the kinge did thrust an enemye to the Realme called Steuen Langton a Cardinall into the bishopricke of Canterbury and encouraged threescore and foure monkes to worke seueral treasons against him Because the king would not suffer these treacheryes he condemned him to be an ennemy of the Church excommunicated him from the company of all Christians interdited his kingdome vi yeres and three monethes deposed him from gouernment toke from him the Crowne and the Scepter discharged his subiectes of their allegeaunce gaue his Realme to Lewes the French kinges sonne commaunded to spoile him both of goodes and life with diuers other tyrannous dealinges Kinge Iohn beinge dismayed with these stormes being otherwise a noble and valiant Prince yet because he was forsaken of his nobilitye his bishops and commonaltye submitted himselfe full sore against his hart to the Popes obeysaunce compelled to acknowledge the Pope to be supreame heade ouer all Christendome and God vppon earth and bound himselfe with a solempne oath to stande to the Popes arbitrement and that his posteritye should do the like to acknowledge themselues perpetuall tributaryes to the Popes of Rome Also he kneeling vppon his knees to Pandulphus yelded vp his Crowne in the presence of all his nobilitye sayinge Here I resigne vp the Crowne of Englande to Pope Innocent the thirde c. Which Pandulphus kept for fiue dayes during which time the king was as a priuate person then being bound to paye the Pope for his Crowne a thousande markes a yeare with other shamefull conditions he receiued his Crowne at the handes of Pandulphus pardoning and restoring to full estate all those that had rebelled conspired and wroughte treason against him And yet by the procuremente of Steuen Langton Archbishop of Yorke other of the clergye and priestes of Englande he was myserablye vexed with treasons and rebellions continuallye for certaine of the nobilitye and priestes had chosen Lodowicke to be their kinge sonne to Lewes kinge of Fraunce who entred the Realme and toke the estate vppon him by theyr maintenaunce against kinge Iohn to the great hart breaking of the noble Prince the spoyling of the Realme and oppression of themselues while this forren Prince bestowed all thinges vppon his owne countreymen accomptinge the Englishe nobles that assisted him to be but traytours In the ende after much miserye and
S. Anthony of Padua and others thereby to aduaunce the credite of the begging fryers of their holinesse He decreed that the white fryers should possesse nothing but male Asses and such foode as coms of certaine birdes and beastes as egges milke and all other thinges they should begge from doore to doore as Paleonydorus sayth He graunted the Iewes to be enfranchised for money in spite of all Christian Princes He forbad any man to haue aboue one benefice He commaunded out of Englande the fift part out of lowe Germany the twenteth part of all Church reuenewes He appointed that to Aue Maria should be songe Salue regina and the sacringe bell to be ronge then and at eleuation time He decreed that no lay man should preach and that no custome should take place which leadeth to â—inne And finallye he dyed for thought because the Emperours power preuayled so mightely against him An. 1241. In his time Tiber in Rome braste out so hye that manye were destroyed by it after which ensued such a pestilence that sayth Platina the tenth parson was scant left aliue In his time also a certaine hill in Burgundy cleaued in twaine and swallowed vp an houge multitude of people and a litle before the Pope dyed was such an Eclipse of the Sunne as hath not beene seene before Of the Oracle of Cyrill at Masse IN the time of this Gregorie Anno 1234. Cyrillê° a Grecian the thirde president general of the white fryers dyed by report They say that this man accordinge as Moses Iohn the EuaÌ„gelist did receyued Anno domini 1192. a reuelation from heauen written in Tables of syluer with Gods owne finger in Greeke concerninge the estate of the Church to come and with this new delusion certaine caytifes went about to put awaye and whollye to destroye the Reuelation of S Iohn in that time of deepe darkenes Because at that time in Italy Germanye England Fraunce many through the doctrine of the VValdeÌ„ses and the preachers of Frederick themperour prouinge it out of the ReuelatioÌ„ of Iohn beleeued that Rome was Babilon that great strompet and that the Pope was Antichrist himselfe which opinion the vncle of Petrus Veronensis held as his LegeÌ„d and Fasciculus temporuÌ„ testifye To such shiftes was the totteringe estate of the Pope then driuen as to abrogate the olde Scripture and to forge new for then Princes began to plucke from the Church their temporalities which maintayned theyr excessiue pride and pompe Also they began to defye their transubstantiacion in the masse and to worke diuers thinges that pinched the bellyes of the clergy and made them keepe leaner kitchins In moste thinges this reuelation of Cyrill is cleane contrarye to the Reuelation of Iohn many monkes and fryers haue written great coÌ„mentaryes and fantasticall interpretacions vppon it as Ioachimus Abbas Guilihelmus Cisterciensis Iohn de rupe scissa But who so euer preacheth anye other Gospell c let him be accursed Gallathians 1. 120. Celestine the fourth CElestine the fourth borne of the house of Castilians being a learned aged and crasyed maÌ„ succeded Gregorie who likewyse purposed to pursue the quarell against Frederick but that he was disappointed by a cuppe of poyson whereof it is reported he dyed the xviii daye of his raigne One Thomas Egleston in his booke of the entraunce of the Minorits into England wryteth of an EnglishmaÌ„ called Robert Somerton Cardinall of Rome who likewyse was poysoned hard before the election of this Celestine least he should haue succeded Gregorie of the same Robert Somerton and his death wryteth Mattheus Parisius coÌ„mending him as a man who for the loue he had of all was worthy to be Pope The same Mattheus wryteth of the behauiour of Legates at the same time saying two of the Popes messeÌ„gers remayned in EnglaÌ„d to gather vp his money whose extorsion was so odious shamefull that it is better saith he to let it passe not to offende mens eares then to defyle the ayre wyth the filthye reporte thereof This Celestine vsed this sayinge commonlye It is harder to keepe moderation in prosperity then in aduersitye After his death the Popedome was voyde xxi weekes till the Emperour at the request of Baldwine Emperour of Constantinople and Raimond Erle of Tholos deliuered those Cardinals which he had in captiuitye FINIS THE SIXTE BOOKE and according to maister Baales order the fourth diuision of the third sort of Popes vnto Iulius the seconde contayninge 260. yeares which he calleth the raigne of the Locusts vnder Abadon the destroyer accordinge to the 9. Chapter of the Apocalips For that in this time the Locusts which he enterpreteth the new found orders of begging fryers inuented and ratifyed by the foure last Popes deuoure spoyle waste and destroye all with their sophisticall and cauilling doctrine As did Thomas Aquinas Ioannes Scotus Occam Gerardus Bonomensis Aegidius Romanus Magister SententiaruÌ„ vvith other like subtill schoolemen and Sorbonistes vvho with their gloses allegories and distinctions corrupted the true sence of the Scripture and in maner toke it cleane awaye 121 Innocentius the fourth AFter the Cardinals had long wrangled beinge reproued for it sharpelye by the Emperour they agreed to chose this maÌ„ callinge him Innocent the fourth borne in Genua whose name before was Cynebaldus of the house of Flisci and the countyes of Lauauy who beinge in time paste the Emperours especiall freinde became forth with his deadlye ennemye and did more annoye the noble Prince then any other before had doone Marius reporteth thus of him this Pope sayth he for hate he bare to Frederick did forth with summon a councell at Lions whither hee cited Frederick purposinge himselfe to haue preached there but the Embassadour of Frederick desired he might haue a reasonable daye graunted him that he mighte conuenientlye come to Lions which the Pope did not onlye denye to graunt but forthwith enflamed with wrath and rage did curse themperour depriue him of his estate Emperial release al his Princes of their alleageance and fayth to him and doth moue them to choose another to be Emperour He charged the godly Emperour with diuers false matters as periurye sacriledge emprisoninge certaine of the clergye and such like whereof though the Emperour had by wryting sent to the Princes very honourablye purged himselfe yet this malitious man continued so importunate w t the Princes with great promises that they choose the Landsgraue of Thuringe and rewarded all men with crosses and pardons giuen by Proclamation against the Emperour as againe a Turke or infidell Furthermore he commaunded all bishops and archbishops to publish euery where how he had cursed excommunicated and depriued the Emperour which was boldly doone in England Fraunce and Denmarke but the bishops of Germany fearing the Emperours displeasure besoughte the Pope it mighte not be done Which the Emperour hearinge did valiantlye set himselfe against the Pope and all his tyrannous rebels til he coulde not escape the Popes snares in Apulia For the
an anchoresse in S. Albons abbey had this terrible visiion she heard an old man of graue countenaunce crye thre times VVo wo to all that dwel on the earth and then faded away againe Anno 1258. Richard Earle of Cornewall sonne to king Iohn of Englād was chosē king of Almany for his great treasure and the Pope procured that he was chosen Emperour but he did that closely because he had likewyse for the same matter taken a bribe of Alphonsus kinge of Spaine Whereupon a certaine Poet made this Verse Nummus ait pro me nubet Comubia Rome Thus money sayth for loue of me Cornewal with Rome shal lincked be Beside these shiftes made for money this Pope Alexāder vsed another notorious knacke he abusing deluding the simplicitye of the king of England made him beleeue that he would make his sonne Edmond king of Apulia if hee woulde sustaine the charges thereof to maintaine the warres appertayning to it wherupon the king caused his sonne forthwith to be proclaymed king of Apulia and sent to the Pope all the treasure and riches that he could make in his Realme And thus was the king and his sonne deluded and the Realme wonderfullye impouerished by the Popes craft It were to long to discouer all the superstitious wicked deuises of this Pope who at length going to Viterbium Anno 1262. to make peace betweene the Genewaies Venetians according to his owne fansye and because he coulde not haue his will therein he dyed there for anger 125. Vrban the fourth VRban the fourth borne in Fraunce and as some saye was first called Pantaleon being patriarch of Hierusalem As sone as he was Pope by and by he commaūded souldiours out of Fraunce to subdue Manfred the ennemy of the Church for the furtherance therof hee requested Lewes kinge of Fraunce to send his brother Charles the Earle of Anteganor w t an oast into Italye and made him king of both Sicils After many conflictes the said Charles ouercame and slue Manfred at Beneuent and receyued of the Pope against all lawe and right the kingdome of Sicill w t the dukedome of Calabrie and Apulia whereuppon arose many great slaughters While this Pope was frō Rome at Pruse the Romaynes coueting their olde libertyes made a newe kinde of officers callinge them Branderesies who had power of life and death in their handes they chose one Brācaleo a priuate parsō of Bononia to be Senatour whō banished late before they restored But touching Vrban it was not much more then this that he did sauinge that hee ordayned an holye daye namelye Corpus Christi daye the fifte day after Trinitye sonday vpon this occasion as some and most likely do write namelye Arnold Bostro Petrus Praemonstratensis Anno 1264. as they saye a certaine woman called Eue in a Religious house in Leodia with whom the Pope in time past had beene well acquainted had a reuelation which she signifyed by wryting to the Pope beseeching him that the sayd day might be kept holye in the honour of the Sacrament of the altar to whom the Pope according to her desire returned his aunsweare with this Bull to confirme the holy daye The Bull of Pope Vrban to Eue the Anchoresse for the establishing of the holy day called Corpus Christi daye BIshop Vrban seruaunt to the seruauntes of God sendeth greeting and apostolicall bleshing to Eue our beloued daughter in Christe VVe know O daughter that thy soule hath longed with greate desire that a solemne feast day might be appointed for the bodye of oure Lord Iesus Christ in Gods Church to be celebrate of all faithfull Christians for euer And therfore for thy ioye we signifie vnto thee that we haue thought it good for the establishing of the catholicke faith that beside the dailye remembraunce which the Church maketh of so wonderfull a Sacrament there should be more special and solemne recorde appointing a certaine daye for it namelye the fifte daye after Whitsontyde next ensuinge that on the said daye the faithfull flocke do gather together to the Churches deuoutlye and effectuallye and let that daye be to all Christiās ioyfull with new holines and holye with much ioye as is more set out in our apostolicall letters sente for this cause through the world And know ye that we haue caused this feast daye to be solemnized with all oure brethren Cardinals bishops and archbishops and other prelats then being at Rome to giue example of celebratinge the same to all that shal see or vnderstand the same Therfore let thy soule magnifye the Lorde and thy spirite reioyce in God thy sauiour for thine eyes haue seene his saluation which we haue prepared before the face of al people Moreouer reioyce because almighty God hath giuen the thy hartes desire and the fulnes of the heauenly grace hath not disapointed the of the will of thy Iippes c. This Vrhan sate more then three yeares betweene the Guelphes Gibelines and prouoked their quarrels to be tryed by the edge of the sworde to the confusion of manye through Italye He being on a time vpbrayed that he was of base linage aunsweared that no mā was noble by byrth but that to be made noble by vertue is true nobility finallye beinge at Pruse because in great attemptes he had not his desired successe he dyed for griefe Masseus sayth that a blazing starre appeared three nights before the death of this Pope and ceased the same night that he dyed 126 Clemens the fourth CLemens the fourth called before Gui Fulcodius borne in Narbonie ere he came to be Pope was a maryed man and had 3. children by his wyfe a sonne two doughters He as his predecessour began continued in sheddinge of bloud he sent for Charles Earle of Angeow to bringe an armye into Italye where he slew Manfred and was made kinge of Sicill and Hierusalem but vppon this condition that he should paye yearelye to the Pope fortye thousande Crownes This bargaine beinge made betweene them great slaughter bloudshed was committed in diuers places for the said Pope betrayed Conradinus sonne to Conradus kinge of Sicill and inheritour of the kingdomes to the former Charles so that as he passed through the fieldes of Viterbie with an oast of Germaynes wher his abode was at that time the Pope by report sayd that the sayd Conradinus was as a lambe brought to the slaughter shewing therby that he was of councell to the treason Afterward when he foughte with Charles about Naples at the first conflict had sufficient victorye yet then the treason reuealing it selfe Conradinus Frederick duke of Austria were taken being myserablye vsed in their captiuitye mocked and flouted were in the ende beheaded by the Popes commaundement because Conradinus claymed the kingdome which his auncetours possessed Thus the kingdome of Naples came into the hand of the Frenchmen and the dukedome of Sweuia decayed and came to nought by the wickednes of the Pope In the time of
worshipped the beast and fynally hereafter detest him and his successours The selfe same thinge is declared in Graftons Cronicle Folio 1346. Where he at large sheweth howe Cardynall Poole was receiued by kinge Phillip Queene Mary and the Parleament and how he perswaded them to be reconciled to this holy father the Pope and how vpon their submission he gaue them absolution in these wordes folowing ¶ Our Lorde Iesu Christ whiche with his moste precious bloudde hath redeemed and washed vs from all our sinnes and iniquities that he might purchase to him selfe a glorious spouse without spot or wrinckle and whom the father hath appointed head ouer all his Churche he by his mercie absolue you and we by the Apostolike auctoritye gyuen vnto vs by the most holy Lorde Pope Iulius the thirde his vicegerent on earthe do absolue and delyuer you and euery of you with the whole Realme and dominions therof from all heresie and schisme and from all and euery iudgements censures and peines for that cause incurred And we also do restore you agayne to the vnitie of our mother the holye Churche as in our letters of Commission shall more plainely appeare c. This being done the kynge and the Queene and all the rest went to the Chappell and chaunted Te deum for ioye of this sweete blessyng of so holy a Pope It maye be that those burgeses and the rest of the ParleameÌ„t house at the time of this absolution thought better of his person when they receyued his blessing but I wyshe those that are yet remayning of them and reade this his lothsome life now to consider what a stinking idoll they honoured ignorantly at that time and what a villains blessing they receyued so deuoutly Consider also what benefittes euery way followed this blessynge for sone after there fell so great extremitie of raine as thoughe the heauen had bewept our iniquitie that the aboundance therof raysed great and perylous fluddes doinge muche harme in diuers places The Thames swelled so high that for the space of fower or fiue dayes boates and barges rowed all ouer saincte Georges fielde and so at Westminster a boate mighte haue rowed from one ende of the Hall to the other Also that yere and the yere following there raigned hot burning feuers and diuers other straunge and newe disseases so contagiously that many people perished in all partes of Englande especially of the most auncient and graue men for in London betwene the .xx. of October and the last of December ther dyed seuen Aldermen Also the yere followinge there ensewed a great dearth and famin throughout all England And agayne the yere after that Newenam bridge Ryce banke Callice Hammes and Guynes were taken by the Frenchmen and the Englishmen driuen cleane out of that parte of Fraunce to their perpetual damage which they had so long enioyed before Ad vnto this also that where as Queene Mary prouided a sufficient power to be transported for the rescewe hereof whiche mighte haue saued it there arose such terrible tempestes of windes and weather continuing foure or fiue dayes vntill such time as the Frenchmen had wrought their purpose and the Englishmen in the meane time by meanes of the terrible tempest were kept of mauger their hartes and such shippes as did aduenture the passage were so shaken and torne with violence of weather as they were enforced to returne with great daunger with losse of all their tackle and furniture Finallye euerye thinge wente so to wracke that as it was thought the noble Prince Queene Mary seing her Realme so to go to decaye conceyued such an inwarde sorrowe of minde that by reason thereof aboute September she fell into an hot burninge feuer which sicknes also was common that yeare throughe all the Realme and consumed a marueylous nomber as Grafton noteth both noble men bishops Iudges knightes gentlemen and farmours and in the ende the Queene dyed thereof and also the Cardinal in one day the 17. day of Nouember Anno 1558. And this was the successe of the Popes blessing therefore God send them plentye of the tree that like the fruite therof 168. Marcellus the second MArcellus the seconde borne in Hetruria was first called Marcellus Ceruinus he was Cardinall of the crosse of Hierusalem when with the consent of all the Cardinals he was made Pope He being created the ix daye of Aprill would not chaunge his Christian name but would be called Marcellus the seconde and the next daye he receiued all the Papall ornamentes in Lateran Pallaice Charles the Emperour and his brother Ferdinand on a time thoughte it meete to prepare an armye against the the Turke and wrote to the Pope to moue him therein This Marcellus aunswered by his letter that the armye should rather be addressed against the Lutherans for these men he saide were worse then all Turkes But this he did before he came to the Popedome But in his Papacye he was an hotte defender of the Romishe superstition and a stronge enemye to the Lutheranes but he beinge one that was long troubled with the iaundies his disease toke him so sore that he dyed thereof the xxiii daye after his electioÌ„ being the third daye of Maye ¶ Theodoricus Gresmundus of the royat of Rome wryteth these Uerses followinge Roma caput scelerum niuei iactura pudoris Exitium fidei luxuriaeque parens Sola Venus dispensat opes dispensat honores Sola facit serua quicquid in vrbe libet Extollit magnosque facit sapientia turpes Sit procul in tenero cui sedet ore decor Tartara sunt molli potius adeunda iuuentae Si non est alius sit tibi barba comes Marcellus Ceruinus was borne at Mount Publican in the field of Florence who when he had well studied humanitye began to be a scholemaister Afterward when Pope Paule the third had created Alexander Farnesius his nephewe by his bastard sonne Peter Aloysius Cardinall being but a boye he made this Marcellus Ceruinê° his scholemaister But sone after Alexander the Cardinal leauing his learninge and forsaking his booke addicted himselfe wholly to other affayres wherein both he and Pope Paule the third vsed the seruice of Marcellus as of their Secretarye When the bishopricke of Nicaster fell voyde he was created bishop thereof but yet he liued still in the court as a retchlesse non resideÌ„t repayred not to his Church at all Pope Paule the thirde appointed the foresaide Cardinall Farnesius to be Embassadour to the Emperour to FerdinaÌ„d being both in Bulgarye but because he was as then but a boye he ioyned in commission with him this Ceruinê° to direct the whole order of the Embassage At that time the Emperour and Ferdinand were moste busye to make warre against the Turke which matter they moued earnestlye But Ceruinus did then publishe a booke which is yet extant in print wherein he shewed that they ought rather to set vpon the Lutheranes and that they were more detestable then any Turkes
addition to Vspergensis sayth After the Pope had depriued and excommunicated both Frederick his sonne Cōradus Frederick did so shake and worrye the Pope and the Church of Rome that some marked w t crosses set themselues in battaile againste him when hee came to batter downe the gates and walles of Rome where he encountred with a mightye armye of these crossed fellowes But ouer comminge them and takinge them prisoners some of them he hewed a fonder w t foure square woundes in forme of a Crosse of some he cleft their sculs a crosse in 4. parts some he marked on the forhed with a crosse cut and as for the clergye hee caused their shaued crownes to be pared a crosse When the said Henry Landsgraue of Thuringe was chosen kinge of the Romaynes and Frederick deposed by this fourth excommunication then the bishoppe of Strosborough like a peaceable prelate of that time to gratifye the Pope tooke part with the Landsgraue and assisted him with such power strength as he coulde both against the father and Conradus the sonne for he assaulted wan diuers townes some he sacked and razed to the grounde some he burnt with fier which townes and Cityes themperour had recouered to the Empyre in Alsatia On the other syde Conradus the sonne of Frederick gathered an armye against Henry but was easely ouerthrowne and manye of his armye being slaine diuers of his nobilitye were taken prisoners But soone after this Henry beinge thus foysted into the Empire by the clergy grew into cōtempt with them that liked not his election whereupon he was in mockadge termed King of clarkes Prince of priestes but the Pope did straitly charge by his Legates al the Almaine Princes to obeye Henry as their soueraigne and to defye Frederick his sonne In the meane time this Hēry dyed and yet the Pope ceased not but sent a Legate into Germanye one Peter Caputius a Cardinall who summoninge the Princes at Collen caused them to electe one VVilliam Earle of Holland a readye man to maintaine any quarell by the sworde In the ende the Emperour beinge in Apulia one hired by the Pope gaue him poyson by meanes whereof he was daungerouslye sicke but seemed to recouer it but was smothered to death with a pillowe by Manfredus his bastard sonne who as some thinke was allured by bryberye and fayre promises of the Pope to do it The truth hereof is written in sixe bookes of Epistles written by Peter of the Uine Anno 1250. Frederick dyed and as some write in his last will and testamente he gaue a summe of moneye for satisfaction to the Church of Rome and bequeathed his estate and the order of all thinges to his sonne Conradus This Will was brought to the Pope to be approued but the Pope did whollye disanull and frustrate the Will sayinge that the Prince whom he had deposed could make no Wil and so it was voide Within a while after a yonge Prince to whom the Emperour by his sonne Kinge Henry was graūdfather was murthered but by whō no mā could tell About this time before the death of Frederick there were certaine preachers in Sweueland who stoutlye and openly preached against the Pope and his Cardinals iustifyed the doinge of Frederick and his sonne Conradus sayinge bouldly that the Pope his bishops and Cardinals had no auctoritye because they were al stayned with that one blot of simony and that their power depended not vppon Christ that a priest committing deadly sinne coulde neither binde nor loose nor consecrate that no man in the world might forbid a Christian to execute diuine functions that they should be hearde celebrated without any difference And in the ende of their Sermons this pardon quoth they which we do pronounce vnto you wee do not declare it to you as forged by the Pope and his prelates but procedinge from Almightye God These preachers were maintayned by Conradus and therfore he incurred almost danger of his life In the former councell helde at Lions it was decreed that the Cardinals should ryde on their trapped Gennets throughe the streates and weare red hattes and crimsen roabes to signifye sayth Parisius that they are readye to spend their bloud for the Catholicke fayth and the safetye of the people but as Platina sayth for the honour of their estate Also in that councell Innocentius decreed amonge manye matters that the Pope mighte depose the Emperour He did greatly fauoure the order of begging fryers and bestowed on them manye priuiledges and benefittes He preferred the Dominicans to dignityes Ecclesiastical and aduaūced the Franciscās to be the Popes confessours He adopted the White fryers and Augustine friers to be his sonnes wher as they liued before in deserts he brought them into Cityes teachinge them to begge their breade w t idlenes By the helpe of the Dominicans he reformed the rule of the Whitefryers mitigated it and finallye with his blessinge confirmed it that as the sayd rule sheweth they should hope to be saued not onlye by Christ He graūted these the begging fryers lycence to preach to dispute and to shriue people Also he exempted them from all power iurisdiction of kinges and bishops whereupon they crammed the worlde ful and chaoked it with their gloses vpon Sentences decretals cannons wich their commentaries vpon Aristotle their Sophisms Repertories Sūmaries Tables Trinies Quatrinies Conclusions Questions Distinctions Quidities Quodlibets Myracles of the dead Legendaryes Saincts liues Martyrdoms Uisions Dreames Reuelatiōs Exorsisms Concordances Discordāces Marials perspectiues Aphorismes wyth a thousande vaine and combrous pamphlets full of grosse deceitful heresyes and then nothing was counted deuinitye nor lawe but their fansyes and canons And in these dayes the world was fallen into such grosse blindnesse ignorance and barbarousnesse that not onelye knowledge in diuinity but also other learning was almost decayed the knowledge of the tongues as Greeke and Hebrew buried in ignoraunce though some rubbishe of the latine tongue were left yet it was rustye corrupte and broken stuffe as appeareth yet by theyr wrytings that the like barbarousnesse is not in any tongue But to returne to Pope Innocent he canonized diuers makinge them saincts that for his aduauncemente had played the traytours and rebels against theyr owne Princes as one Edmond Archbishop of Canterbury and other of sondrye places Till the time of this Innocentius the 4. sayth Bibliander it was not an article of fayth nor a law of the Church that men should worship the breade and the wyne in the Sacrament therefore sayth he the Pope as a creator brought forth a newe God Mauzis by transubstantiation This Pope offred to sell to king Henry the third of England the kingdome of both Sicils to the vse of his sonne Prince Edmond and yet Conradus kinge thereof was lyuinge He vexed and polled the Churches of England with myserable exactions for money he maintayned and licensed anye wickednes amonge the clergye suffering worser matters in his bastards
whereof he had diuers especiallye one called VVilliam One Robert Capito bishop of Lincolne had a great controuersye with this Pope for he detested defyed both in preachinge and wrytinge the Popes couetousnes pride and tyrannye He would not admit one of the Popes bastardes because he was vnlearned and but a boye of yeares to a canonship of Lincolne but rebuked the Pope for it in a letter and withstoode the Popes pollinge â—obbinge the Realme and therefore the Pope receyuinge the sharpe letter from this Robert Grosted for anger rayled not onlye on the bishop but also brast into these arrogante wordes against his Prince king Henry the third sayinge as Mattheus Parisius testifyeth Is not the kinge of EnglaÌ„d our vassel our slaue our page who may at our pleasure to hamper him put him in prison to vtter shame And finallye because he coulde not tell howe otherwise to ease his rancke stomacke against the bishop hee excommunicated him but he constantlye defyed and despised his excommunication euen to the death He defended in disputation that the Pope could do nothinge against iustice truth and that he was worse then Lucifer and Antichrist at the length being cited to appeare in the court and condempned by the Pope wrongfullye he appealed to the iudgemente of Christe This good bishop after he had detected much of the Popes treachery before his death vttered these two Uerses applying them against the Pope Eius luxuriae meretrix non sufficit omnis Eius auariciae totus non sufficit orbis One concubine could not suffice his burning lust to quenche Nor yet his honger after golde one world serude not to stenche Also this bishoppe by diligent searche tryed it that this Pope and his clarkes had in reuenewes out of Englande aboue iii. score and tenne thousande markes where as the reuenewes of the Crowne came not to 30. thousand Cestrensis in his seuenth booke wryteth that when this bishop of Lincolne dyed a voyce was heard in the Popes court sayinge Veni miser in iudiciuÌ„ dei that is Come thou vvretch to be iudged of God And that the Pope was found deade in his bedde the next daye and a blewe stroke in his bodye as if he had beene beaten wyth a staffe This was done Anno 1253. he being at Naples and loking soone after to haue enioyed the whole kingdome of Sicill where he lyeth buryed Thaddition to Vspergensis sheweth that the yeare before as the Pope was going from LioÌ„s to Millen these straunge tokens happened certaine bloudy cloudes were seene in the ayre streames of bloud gusshed out of breade as oute of wounded bodyes After his death the seate was voide two yeares 124 Alexander the fourth ALexander the fourth borne in Campania being Cardinall of Hostia succeded Innocent He persecuted Ecelinus of Runcan and Manfred king of Sicill because they had beene ennemyes to the former Popes thus he began his raigne And first he craftelye admonished them not to stande against the dignitye of the Church in anye point before he gaue them this charge he had prouided his army in a readinesse meaning to course them if they should seeke to preuent him and his Cardinals of the kingdome of Sicill yet these Princes very couragiouslye with an oast of Saracens and other fearinge not the Popes threates did set vppon his army at vnawares euen in a trench ere they wist and partly slue them partly toke them prisoners In the meane while Pope Alexander goinge to Anagnia excommunicated Manfred and sent a Cardinal called Octauian to Naples to make the Neapolitans to stand faithful to him against Manfred promysing speedely to bring ayde to all Campania and to the Neapolitans but Manfred not pacifyed with troubling Naples did also moue factions in Hetruria but chiefely in Florence where he brought in the Guelphis againe who euer were at deadly foode with the Gibelines Thus was al Italy in a myserable vprore torne in sonder with cruell and saluage warre But Manfred hauing poysoned Conrad king of Sicill was proclaymed kinge at Panorme and with an armye of hyred souldiours he ouerthrew the Popes Legat with great slaughter This Pope sent one Rustand Legate into Englande Anno 1255. to gather vp the tenthes in Englande Scotland IrelaÌ„d to warre against Manfred And saith Mattheus Parisius manye mischiefes detestable issued from the burning fountayne of Rome in those dayes to the destruction of manye for after the begginge fryers had preached the power of the Crosse he required infinite sommes of moneye the exaction of the Pope was such sayth he that the like hath not bene heard Whereupon Fulck bishop of LoÌ„don sayd with great griefe Ere I giue my consent to oppresse the Church vvith such iniurye seruitude and bondage surely I will first loose my head for although that Courte hath often in times past pinched euen to the bone the faithfull flocke of Christ yet it neuer wouÌ„ded in such deadlye sort all and euery one of Christes seruaunts as it did this yeare and the yeare following c. The money the was gathered for the holy land was transposed into Apulia against Christians and sayth Mattheus vnmeete meÌ„ are made gouernours of noble Churches the prelates are sould as oxen and asses this is the extreame point of seruitude c. About this time the said Rustand the Popes Legate being PrebeÌ„dary of Paules Church in LoÌ„don dyed beyond the sea king Henry the third hearing therof gaue the same prebend to one Iohn Crakehale his chaplein but after the sayde Crakehale had full possession thereof came one Iohn Grasse from Rome wyth the Popes embulled letter to chalenge the sayde lyuing Hereupon the matter being in controuersye it was brought before Boniface bishop of Canterbury who finding that the Popes gift was dated before the kinges dispossessed the Englishman and inuested the Popes man which was taken so in despite by certaine repyning to see the Pope and his Italian priestes in this and all such cases to beare more sway then the king and to reape all commodyties from the kinge and his subiects that the said ItaliaÌ„ and a coÌ„panion of his were murthered in a thronge by whom no man knewe Rustand in a conuocation at London alleaged that all Churches were the Popes to whom one Leonard an Englishman answeared modestly yea sir in tuition not in fruition to defend not to expende Seuell bishop of Yorke by the example of the former bishop of Lincolne did likewyse wtstande this Pope Alexander and desyred him by letter to leaue of his wonted polling according to Peters example to feede the sheepe not to flece them not to flea them not vnbowel them neither as a wolfe deuoure them Further it followeth in the sayd Mattheus that the Pope sente yet other Legates into England namelye Arlot Mansuet minorite fryers who had power to pardon for money eyther lyers forswearerers vowbreakers adulterers and Sodomits traytors poysoners murtherers and all suche Whereuppon a certaine woman
him selfe bodye soule vnto them if by their helpe he mighte attainâ— to the Papacye which when the deuils had perfourmed Pope Alexander began so to refourme his life that he neuer went about anye busines but that he did first take councell of the deuill Other pranckes of this Pope Alexander were partlye written in these Uerses compendiouslye Vendit Alexander cruces altaria Christum Emerat ille prius vendere iure potest De vitio in vitium de flamma transit in ignem Roma sub Hispano deperit imperio Sextus Tarquinius Sextus Nero Sextus iste Semper sub Sextis perdita Roma fuit Pope Alexander selleth Christe with aares crosses store And reason good that he should sell the thinges he bought before c. In the time of this Pope the pall of the bishop of Mentz was enhaunsed to be payde for it for euer heareafter vnto the Popes Chamber xxxv Thousand Florences Among other enormities wherewith this Alexander swarmed he poysoned Gemen brother to Baiazetes the great Turke prisoner at Rome receyuing for the same deede wherwith he was hyred by Baiazetes two hundred Thousand Crownes Furthermore to maintaine his tyrannye he ioyned league with the Turke against the French kinge and craued his assistaunce vsing both the kingdome of Naples Rome it selfe for his owne royat sake as the fortresses to the Empyre of Ottomannus Beside he coÌ„maunded the tongue of Antonius Mancinellus and both his hands to be cut of because he in a learned and eloquente oration reproued his licentious and loathsome demeanour But as he liued wickedlye so he dyed myserablye for he preparinge a feast for diuers Senatours and Cardinals purposing to poysoÌ„ them with the same bane that he poysoned Cemen but by the prouidence of God one of the wayters ignorantly gaue the Pope the same bottell wherein the poyson was wherof he drinking dyed with the reste Finallye in one thinge this Alexander matched the wickednes of his predicessours in graunting leaue to a Spaniard Petrus Mendoza Cardinall of Valentia to vse his bastard sonne Marquesse Zanatensis otherwyse then becommeth vowed chastitye but hereof enough And beside this Mendoza was well knowen greatly to dishonour the spowsall bed of his soueraigne king Ferdinand Anno 1499. one Ierom Sauonarola a dominicaÌ„ monke with other his fellowes were burned at Florence for defending the communion vnder both kindes condemninge the Popes pardons and for reprouing the loose life negligence of the clergye generallye They denyed also the Popes supremacye saying that the keyes were giuen to the whole Church and not to Peter Againe that the Pope followed Christe neither in life nor doctrine because he attributed more to his owne pardons traditioÌ„s then to the merits of Christ that his cursinges excoÌ„municaioÌ„s are not to be feared He prophecied also of certaine things to come as of the destruction of Florence and of Rome and the restoring of the true Church at length for the which Picus Mirandula calleth him an holye Prophete and defendeth him in his wryting against the Pope Also one Marsilius his neighbour and Cominoeus in his French historye do attribute to him the spirite of prophesyinge and diuers other learned men do defend that he dyed an innocent 161. Pius the thirde PIus the thirde borne in Hetruria and nephewe to Pius the seconde called first Franciscus Picolhomeneus after great debate amonge the Cardinals succeded Alexander Valentine Borgia after the death of his father purloyning his treasure did beset that Vatican with xii Thousand souldiours it beinge the place where the Pope was elected thinking by this drift to make the Cardinals stoupe to his purpose but they to auoyde this daunger did forthwith conueye themselues into the Temple of Minerua where they were forthwith enclosed by him Hereuppon a rumour ran through the Citye that the elders were apprehended that all the Citye was molested with â—laughter and spoyling so that all men were amazed This being hearde doares were shut vp men toke them to their weapoÌ„s the streat passages were stopt with timberlogs iroÌ„ chaynes and thus was all in an hurlye burlye and a great vprore as if the hoast of Hanniball had bin battringe the gates of Rome But Valentine because he sawe that he had attempted an harde matter being requested by the Cardinals to giue ouer his wilfull purpose did promise to cease by by and to obey them Then when this Pius was chosen Valentine abating his courage did thanke the Cardinals because they had chosen him Pope whom he most desired He being Pope did forthwith rayse an armye to driue out those Frenchmen that dwelt in Italye taking it in dispite that their king had subdued Apulia and a great part of Italye but the Pope hoped for a daye to gall the Frenchmen to enclose them in a trap and in the end to hunt them vtterlye out But while he purposed these thinges he dyed of an vlcer in his legge the xxvii daye after his creation Anno 1503. the same yeare also that Alexander also dyed the xv of the Calendes of Nouember And here endeth the sixt booke of these prelates contayning in it 41. Popes from Innocentius the 4. to this Pius the 3. whose corrupt liues as is partly shewed thoughe not so larglye as mighte be do argue of what spirite they were and howe farre from Christian conuersation But if their fantasticall and superstitious decrees were ioyned hereunto where withall they loaded the Church and choaked the Gospell their doctrine would appeare to men of any iudgement as vnsauorye as their trade of life but it would be ouer tedious and pertayneth not so much to our purpose THE SEVENTH Booke contayninge the fift parte of the third sort of Romaine Popes in whom appeareth the wayninge of Antichrist and imparing of his vsurped estate wexing still weaker and weaker till the ende of the worlde accordinge to the Prophecye of S. Paule in the seconde Chapter of the seconde Epistle to the Thessalonians that Antichriste must be reueled before that Christe come IT appeareth by these former Popes how the Prophecies in the ReuelatioÌ„ of Iohn of Antichrist that he should be an Abadon which being an Hebrewe word signifyeth a Destroyer or Conquerour haue bin abouÌ„dantlye and in perfit measure fulfilled verifyed in them In the rest that followeth may appeare the diminishing of that seat for so much as many people in their times haue do from daye to daye renounce the Popes auctoritye Many parsons first began in Germanye openlye to detect him as Luther Zuinglius Oecolampadius Melancthon with diuers other till in the ende the whole countryes forsooke him so that God be thancked at this daye a great parte of the worlde doth acknowledge him to be Antichriste and defyeth his doctrine as Englande Scotland Denmarke Sweden the dukes of Saxonie the duke of Brunswick the Palsgraue of Rhene the duke of VVittingberges the Lantgraue of Hessia the Marquesse of Brandenburg the Prince of Russia and all other
Earles and noble men with their dominions and great Cityes through the whole countrey of Germanye beside the great commōwealthes of Heluetia Rhetia Vallis Tellina with many hūdred Thousands more of al estates in Flaūders Italye Spayne Fraūce and in the kingdome of Polonia Thus especiallye from the yeare of our Sauiours incarnation 1503. vnder Pope Iulye the seconde the credite of the Romaine Sea began to cracke and dailye ryueth more and more and shall by Gods grace so continue till it be cleane rente in peeces and torne awaye Whereof God hath giuen certaine signes tokens plainlye prognosticatinge the greate fall of this proude Babilon which with these reuoltinge of regions from him being compared may comfort those that reioyce in the aduauncing of the Gospell and in the ruine of Antichriste although it is not to be wished that any mā should ground any doctrine or point of religion barely vpon these prognostications The obseruations that the Papacye shall melt awaye decresing more and more till the daye of Iudgement are these First the forenamed Prophecye of S. Paule in the 2. Chapter of the seconde Epistle to the Thessalonians that Antichriste must be reuealed before Christe come with diuers other Prophecyes of the holye Scripture in the Reuelation and other places Other proofes hereof maye be those straunge thinges that haue come to passe of latter times in the Church of Rome as the Pope Iohn the 24. was wonderfullye vexed by an owle in open consistorye as is before in his life declared againe that going to Constance he fell oute of his chariot by the waye Afterwarde he was in the same councell of Constance reprochfullye deposed and it was there declared that a councell ought to be aboue the Pope and the Pope to be subiect to the controlment of the coūcel which thing gaue a great pushe to the ouerthrow of his supremacye surelye from his time and the time of Paule the second the Popes maiestye began to shrincke more more Againe in the time of Alexander the sixt by a tempest of thonder lightninge the Augell set on the toppe of Angell castell in Rome the Popes chiefe place was beaten downe into the riuer Tiber. Furthermore it appeareth that it was not so much the fonde furye of Iulye the second as fatall prouidence the Pope Iulye the second when he could not preuaile by Papal auctoritie did hurle away into Tiber S. Peters keyes as they tearme them the counterfaite euidence of his supremacye for as he cast the keyes away so other reiected his supremacie euer since Furthermore in the time of Pope Leo it came to passe that he created in one day 31. Cardinals and the same daye while Leo and his Cardinals were in S. Peters Church there fell such mightye stormes of windes thōder lightnings vpon the Church that it shooke downe a little idoll made for the picture of Christe in the lappe of the virgin Marye Also it stroke the keyes oute of the hande of S. Peters Image in the same Church These and manye other such matters as haue come to passe are to be so construed as they may best serue to the glorye of God and signification of his will which is that Antichriste shall be destroyed with the breath of his mouth that is the power of his holye word and not by the might and arme of man Ioyning therefore the successe that Christe hath giuen to his Gospel with the shaking of Antichriste his kingdome foreshewed by the spirit of God it shall not be amisse to take these signes as witnesses that God sheweth hereby that he is mindefull of his promise made to his elect that the dayes are at hand when Babilō must fall and our Sauiour Iesus Christe come againe in glorye to the subuerting of him The Lorde hasten it for his mercy sake and make vs readye to receiue it with ioye Amen Amen 162. Iulius the second IVlius the secōd was a Genewaie borne who as Erasmus wryting vpon the prouerbe A remo ad Tribunal sayth was in his youth a whirrye slaue and yet at length preased vp to the Papacye And yet sayth he not contenting himselfe with that estate as he founde it did enlarge his dominion and would haue made it larger but that death preuented his purpose Vicelius sayth that he was rather giuen to warres then to serue Christ. Iohn Functius in his Cōmentaryes wryteth thus of him Pope Iulius being borne of a base stocke rysing by degrees throughe good lucke and craftye witte attayned to the hyest He being a fellowe of a subtill and compassinge heade and most giuen of nature to play the warriour did like Nimrod enlarge his porcion by the dint of the sworde so that by his procuremente within seuen yeares were slaine and destroyed to the nomber of two hundred thousand Christians He besieged Rauenna cruellye and in the ende preuayling made it subiecte to his Empire And with the like violence he wrested Seruia Imola Fauentia Foroliuium Bononia and other Cityes from the Princes with great bloudshed Sleidā sayth that whē this Iulius was Pope he toke an oath that he would haue a councell within two yeares But when he troubled and disquieted all Italye with warres beinge enemye one while to the Venetiās another while to the king of Fraūce nowe to the Duke of Ferraria now to the Bononians certaine Cardinals ix in nomber steppinge a syde and assembling at Millen do summon a coūcell to be held at Pisana The chiefe of these were Bernardin Cruceius VVilliam of Praenoste Fraūcis Cossetinus w t whom were the proctours of the Emperour Maximilian and of Lewis the xii king of Fraunce about the same purpose This councell was called the yeare 1511. the xix day of Maye to beginne in September next following The cause hereof is sayde to be because the Pope had broken his oath and for sworne himselfe for notwtstāding he had raigned so many yeares yet contrarye to his oath they could get no hope of hauing a coūcell And furthermore for that they had heynous crimes to charge him w t all they purposed to depriue him of his dignitye which he had gottē by bribery But Iulius chargeth all men vpon paine of great punishmēt that no man should obey them summoned another coūcel to be held the yeare following in Aprill in Lateran at Rome whereunto xxi Cardinals subscribed For this from time to time hath bin the practise of the Pope when any councel hath bin assembled against his doings then to assemble another Synode against the other in some place meete for his purpose There was at this time a famous Lawyer at Papia called Philippus Decius who published a booke defendinge the doinge of the Cardinals against the Pope Diuers other wrote against him some in prose some in verse as Hulricus Huttenus in certaine Epigrams to this effect in Englishe translated verse for verse This Iulie vvho by long discent did sit in Peters seate Through nevv cōceite