declared that the Reader may vnderstand what graue matters are handled in some Popish Councels In this Councell the excommunication against the Emperour was renued Whereupon such a ruine and vastation of Italy followed that nothing could bee seene there for a time but bloud-shed burnings robberies the State and Church confounded the true heires turned o◅t of their possessions robbers and oppressours thrust in All this moued not the Popes to remit Inuestitures The Emperour perceiuing that nothing could moue the Popes to loose so beneficiall a Pray no not the common calamity of Christendome was perswaded to yeeld to the Pope in the end in respect of the miseries that followed this contention And so resigned Inuestitures to the Pope Whereupon peace followed for a time Frederick Barbarossa 108. FRederick the first sirnamed Barbarossa is highly commended by the Writers of that age and of them that followed for a Prince of great worth wisedome and valour When he came into Italy the Pope met him not with a purpose to honor him but by him to be reuenged vpon the King of Sicily with whom the Pope was at variance Frederick receiued the Pope with great reuerence and as he lighted from his horse held the left stirrope This was made a great quarrell against Frederick and though he made his reasonable excuse that this was the first time that euer hee serued in that sort and might therefore be pardoned for any thing vnskilfully done that the office proceeding from good will it made not much matter on which side he came that came to reuerence him yet the Pope would not be satisfied but shewed himselfe so much offended that the Emperour began to be somewhat moued so that the parting was with some stomacke on both sides The next day the Emperour meeting the Pope helde the right stirrope to please him and when they were set the Pope thus began The Princes of auncient times your predecessours when they came to make petition for the Imperiall crowne were wont by some worthy office to promerit the fauour of the Church of Rome that by preuenting the blessing they might declare by some egregious seruice that the Crowne was due to them Thus did Charles by ouerthrowing the Lumbards Thus did Otho by defeating the Berengarij Thus did Lotharius by repressing the Normanes So must you doe and represse the King of Sicily with the Normanes and restore Apulia to vs and the Church and then you shall see what we will doe for our part The Emperour vnderstanding well how vnreasonable the motion was that Apulia which was by right a part of the Empire should be taken from the King of Sicily at the Emperors charges and bestowed vpon the Pope yet for that time did giue a moderate answer that he would goe into Germany returne with fresh forces for that seruice because these which were with him were much decayed 109. This mention of the King of Sicily draweth vs to speake somewhat of him our purpose being to obserue the practise of Popes in deposing of Kings William King of Sicilia held also Apulia as hee receiued it from his Father Roger to whom it came from Robert Guiscard who first draue out the Moores from thence and wonne the possession thereof This William because he would not giue Apulia to the Pope for inlarging of Saint Peters Patrimonie was excommunicated by Pope Hadrian the fourth deposed from his Kingdome his subiects discharged of their Oath and Alleageance And because William stood vpon his strength in his owne iust defence against the Pope therefore the Pope would gladly haue set Frederick the Emperour against him In the end William in feare partly of Frederick but especially of Immanuel the Greeke Emperour whose Orator Palaeologus promised to driue William out of Italy and to giue the Pope fiue thousand pound weight of gold if three Hauen Townes of Apulia might be giuen to his Master by couenant after the victory was driuen to compound with the Pope and being thus forced thereto did acknowledge that he held both those Kingdomes of the Pope 110. When Frederick the Emperour vnderstoode that the Pope had made a league with William and confirmed him in both the Kingdomes after that he had moued Frederick to vndertake the warres against him was not a little greeued thereat considering also other greeuances and oppressions of Germany Whereupon he began to execute some seuere discipline against certaine dissolute persons of the Clergy at which the Pope grew highly offended hereupon some sharpe letters passed betweene them as before we declared But when the Emperour prepared a iourney into Italy with an Army the Pope fearing the worst made meanes and was reconciled to him A little after when Frederick besieged Crema some Cities of Italy conspiring against him the Pope followed the first opportunity of rebellion and excommunicated the Emperour and cursed him Naucler declareth the motiue that drew the Pope to excommunicate the Emperour Data pecunia immensa Domino Hadriano Papae vt imperatorem excommunicaret A huge summe of money was giuen to Pope Hadrian to excommunicate the Emperour These be the Apostolicall censures and these be the meanes that draw his holinesse to depose Princes Pope Hadrian shortly after at Anagnia walking abroad to take the ayre as he would haue drunke a little water in a spring a flie falling in to his mouth stucke so fast in his throate that no helpe of Ph◅sicke preuailing to remoue her he was choaked therewith and died 111. I may not omit what Iohannes Flasboriensis a Writer in this time obserueth of this Hadrian as from him Naucler reporteth This Iohn affirmeth that he heard Hadrian confesse thus much No man liueth in the world more miserable then the Pope of Rome In this Sea haue I found so many miseries that in respect of this present estate all the bitternesse of my former life seemeth pleasure happinesse This ambition to seek the Papacy euen by shedding our brothers bloud this is to succeed Romulus in Paricide not Peter in feeding By this autentick testimonie of Pope Hadrian a witnesse without exception we see what it is to be a Pope Marcellus the secōd as Onuphrius reporteth in his life gaue the like censure of the Papacy adding thus much That hee saw no meanes how any Pope could be saued These are the testimonies of the Popes themselues who deserue to be beleeued speaking of a matter whereof they had so great experience After the death of Hadrian Alexander the fift being chosen Pope renueth the excommunication against Frederick thundering out great curses vpon him and sent letters abroad to all Princes and people to raise tumults against him The Emperour to pacifie the troubles of Christendome which were growing by the Schisme which then began betweene this Alexander and Victor the fourth entreated the French King in some conuenient place to meete him and to bring Alexander as he would also bring Victor to this meeting that matters might be composed if it might be and troubles preuented The meeting was appointed at Diuion Thither came Frederick and Uictor Thither came Henry the second King of England and William King of Scotland But Alexander was so much afraid of this meeting that hee perswaded Philip the
French King who had promised to meete the Emperour here to practise a trick which better beseemed a shifting Pope then an honourable Prince The deuise was that the French King should come to the place before the Emperor was come wash his hands in the Riuer that ran by the place and by the voice of a Criar should call the Emperour three times and as if this were the keeping of his promise afterward hee should depart When the Emperour and the Kings of England and Scotland were come to the place and heard what the French King had done they were much offended that the King should so Popishly disappoint his promise therefore they willed Victor to returne to Rome and went their waies 112. I passe by Fredericks iourney to the holy land his warres there how Pope Alexander sent his Image to the Souldian how being taken prisoner when he would haue dissimulated his estate he was knowne by his picture how after his returne he raised an Army and led the same into Italy against Alexander how against the Venetians who tooke part with Alexander he sent his sonne Otho how his sonne was taken prisoner which estate of his sonne gaue Alexander the aduantage and made the Emperour content to yeelde The conclusion was The Emperour must come into Saint Marke his Church in Venice and there humbly seeke absolution at the Popes handes Fredericke did so The Pope commanded him to aske pardon prostrate on the ground the Emperour suspecting no contumely did so The humble milde and mortified Vicar of Christ hauing the Emperor thus prostrate before him set his foote vpon the Emperours necke vsing those wordes Super Aspidem Basiliscum ambulabis conculcabis Leonem Draconem The Emperours answere was Non tibi sed Petro The Pope replied Et mihi Petro. These be examples of the Popes power in excommunicating Emperours from which examples they draw the claim of a right which they pretend to haue The Popish writers hope that men will be perswaded by the examples of the Popes power that this power was giuen to S. Peter and in him to all Popes because there appeareth such Christian moderation humility and mildenesse therein Though there be nothing in Scripture for them but all against them though the auncient fathers expresly denied the Popes to haue Iurisdiction ouer other Bishpopes yet they doubt not but they shall finde some that will rest perswaded that Christ left this fulnesse of power to the Popes which conteineth Soueraigne Iurisdiction not onely ouer all Bishoppes but ouer all temporall Princes also Henry the sixt and Philip. 113. HEnry the sixt Emperour succeeded Frederic This Henry left a young sonne Frederic an Infant yet elect to be Emperour and committed his education and weldoing to the trust of Pope Innocens the third leauing the Empire to his brother Philip vntill the childe should growe to age Pope Innocent this trustie tutor purposing the destruction both of Philip and young Fredericke set vp another Emperour which procured great vexation and trouble to them and to all Germany And first he quarrelled Philip that he stood vnder an old excommunication of Celestinus but afterward making semblance of fauour and reconciliation with him hee sent the Bishoppe of Sutrium to demand pledges certaine men whose eyes his brother Henry had plucked out The Bishoppe came and receiued the blinde pledges and at the earnest request of Philip absolued him from the excommunication The Pope when he had gotten these blinde men made publicke shew of them to moue enuie against Philip that done he excommunicated the Bishoppe of Sutrium for absoluing Philip without his commaundement the Bishoppe was depriued and so stood depriued all the daies of his life Then laboured the Pope to stirre vp Bertholduâ—… Duke of Zaringia against Philip whom he would haue obtruded to the Electours But Berthold vtterly refusing to rebell sent his Nephewes to Philip for Hostages of his Faith and Alleageance and came himselfe and sware Alleageance to him at which the Pope taking great indignation brake out into these wordes Either shall the Pope pull the Crown from Philip or Philip shal pull the Miter from the Pope And sent therefore to Otho sonne to Henry Leo a Prince more noted for boldnesse pride and ambition then for wisedome and moderation 114. To this man the Pope Innocent sent a Crowne and set him vp against Philippe for the Empire excommunicating Philippe and pulling all helpes from him that possible hee could and so filled the world with warres As Philip and Otho were thus plunged in warres all Princes and people troubled there was not a Bishopricke or Ecclesiasticall dignity or Parish-Church which was not made litigious and in the common miseries of Christendome and confusion of the Church the Pope onely reioyced increasing his wealth by the ruines of the Church the calamity of all men was turned to his happinesse To expresse this true felicity of the Pope and the Court of Rome in the misery and vexation of all the world mine Authour breaketh out into these wordes O our mother Rome reioyce because the Cataracts of earthly treasures are opened that vnto thee Riuers may flow and Mountaines of siluer may be brought in great abundance to thee be thou ioyfull for the iniquity of the sonnes of men because in recompence of so much mischiefe as from thee proceedeth the price returneth to thee Let thine heart be merry for the discord and dissention that troubleth all other but helpeth thee for out of the infernall pit it breaketh to heape vp much money as a reward to thee Thou hast that which alwaies thou hast thirsted after and longed for Now maist thou sing this song that thou hast ouercome the world not by thy Religion but by the malitiousnesse of men That which draweth men to thee is not thy deuotion or a pure conscience but impudency and boldnesse to commit all wickednes and hope of impunity for their hope is to defend and maintaine any wickednesse where thou art the Iudge and when the price is prepared Thus farre Uspergensis making some what bold with that innocent Pope Innocentius In this contention which the Pope raised Otho had the helpes of the King of Bohemia the Lantgraue of Thuring the Bishoppe of Colon these inclined to him being drawne as well by the Popes cursing of Philip as also for that they saw that Otho was strong by meanes of his Vncle Richard King of England But at last Otho being wearied with the warres and perceiuing Philips affaires to prosper was content to heare of peace 115. The Pope himselfe after all his malice thus spent made a motion of reconciliation
they whom he had banished from Parma were returned thither by the Popes practise and taking the Towne by force had giuen a great ouerthrow to the other Citizens fearing least this example might draw other Cities to the like reuolt he gaue ouer the iourney to Lions and wrote Letters to the French King and all Prelates refuting the Popes friuolous obiections declaring the iustice of his cause and his innocency Innocentius regarding neither iustice nor innocency pursued him by violence malice open warres secret conspiracies seeking all meanes that his vnholy head could inuent to take away the life of Fredericke As he was taking his recreation in hauking at Grossetum by the Sea shore neare to Sien the Pope drew his owne seruants to a conspiracy the conspiracy was detected and the traytors had the reward of their treason Innocentius who could not rest till he had done some Pontificall exploit against the life of this Prince stirred vp the Princes of Germany to thrust downe Fredericke and to set vp another first was set vp Henry Lantgraue of Thuringia this man besieging Vâ—…mes was wounded by the shot of an Arrow and shortly after resigned both his life and the Empire After this was William Earle of Holland set vp this man was slaine in the warres which he had gaged against the Frisians neither of these saith Naucler were numbred among the Emperours At last after so many secret traps laid for the life of this Prince behold the end of the Popes malice where strength faileth the Emperour was destroyed by poison King Iohn of England 124. THe King of England sped no better then others for by this vnbridled power of vsurped Iurisdiction King Iohn with the whole Kingdome was brought into great trouble and perplexity these troubles grew vpon a quarrell of Election betweene the Monkes of Canterbury and the Suffraganes in the seuenth yeare of King Iohn for after the death of Hubert Archbishoppe of Canterbury the Monkes without the knowledge of the King or respect of the Suffraganes chose Reynold the Subpriour of the house to be Archbishoppe who secretly went to Rome to haue this his election confirmed by the Pope but stay was made at Rome because he shewed not Letters commendatory from the King The Monkes perceiuing that without those letters commendatory they could not proceede made request to the King that they might chuse another whom the King might commend this the King liked well and commended Iohn Gray the Bishoppe of Norwich being his Chaplaine and President of his Counsell as Hollinshed saith but Mat. Paris whom he cyteth hath not so much The Monkes gladly obeyed the Kings request and madâ—… choise of this man but the Pope refusing both thrust vpon them Stephen Langton commanding and compelling so many of those Monkes of that Couent as were then at Rome to chuse him the King was herewith much moued because Stephen Langton was brought vp vnder the French King and bound to him betweene whom and King Iohn there was at that time much warre and dissention wherefore the King banished the Monkes that had chosen Stephen and wrote to the Pope that he had no reason to admit Stephen to such a place in his Kingdome a man promoted by the French King and at his commaund This contention continuing the Pope sent to the Bishoppes of England commaunding them to put the King and his land vnder the sentence of interdiction denouncing him and his land accursed The Bishoppes to whom the Pope wrote being by this time become the Popes subiects and sâ—…ruants and not the Kings which is the end which the Pope seeketh by his Iurisdiction denounced the interdiction and then fledde to Rome King Iohn seeing many fall from his obedience to the obedience of the Pope drewe his people to an Oath of Alleageance After this came Paâ—…dulph Legat from the Pope who after that he had beene here a while was commaunded by the Pope to repaire to the French King there with Stephen Langton to take Councell and to stirre vp the French to make warres vpon King Iohn Thus King Iohn was depriuâ—…d of his Gouernement his subiects absolued from their Alleageance by which practise many reuolted from him so that he was left weake and when the Popâ—… had thus weakned him then he set vp the French King in armes against him The issue was this The King circumuented by these practises of the Pope and oppressed being also bereaued of all helpe was forced to deliuer his Crowne to Pandulph and receiued it from him againe as from the Popes hands And thus was Stephen Langton made Archbishoppe this was done in the fifteenth yeare of King Iohn An. Dom. 1213. The Earle of Tholous 125. WHen Frederick the second liued so persecuted by the Pope as we haue declared a new and strange generation rose vp of a suddaine neuer seene in the world before starting vp like those armed Souldiers which the Poets faine to haue sprung vp suddenly of the Serpents teeth being sowed by Cadmus Such a serpentine generation of Friars were newly hatched at this time the first founders of them were Francis and Doâ—…inick For the Popes hauing a purpose to raise themselues aboue the Church and aboue Kings and Emperours as both by their profession and claime in the Canon Law and by their practise was apparant and for this purpose thundring out their excommunications vpon euery occasion practising this power in deposing Princes found themselues much crossed in these courses by Bishops and especially by the Bishops of Germany who stood out for a long time faithfull in the Church and couragious against the Popes tyranny Auentiâ—…us giueth many testimonies of the courage of the German Bishops as else-where also we haue obserued of the English Bishops for he writing of the times of Frederick the second the Bishops then saith he were not as now they are addict to the seruice of the Pope giuen to idlenesse and pleasure but learned industrious louing Christ and declaring their loue by feeding their flockes diligently These were not for the Popes purpose For in diuers Synodes they censured the Popes folly and ambition freely and withstood his tyrannie Then was the Church so gouerned by Bishops all matters so iudged and determined that the Pope might aduise but hee could not by authority attempt any thing in the Prouince of any Bishop thinges being guided by truth law the iudgement of the wisest and best learned in the Prouince and by the Councel and common consent of the Clergy of that Prouince Who had reason to know the estate of their Church and Prouince better then the Pope or any stranger could doe This godly order in the Church the Pope had a purpose to confound to oppâ—…esse the Bishops authority and to draw all power to himselfe Hoc iâ—…stitutum to vse the words of Aueâ—…tinus tollere antiquare Episcoporum autoruatem Labefactare ad vnius cuâ—…cta potestatem redigere complacitum est 126. This being the purpose of Popes
of Christendome are to be intreated in the behalfe of God to remoue these greeuances from the Church which the insatiable couetousnesse of Popes brought in And seeing they haue remoued the Harpyes themselues why should they leaue the markes of their abhominable couetousnesse to the eternall oppression of the Church Why should these vncleane spoiles be found in the hands of godly Princes It would be the eternall honour of our Princes not to chaunge the oppressour but to remooue the oppression It was the honour of this land that when the Pope had oppressed all other Churches onely the Church of England was free Hanc consuetudinem omnes adâ—…isere praeter Anglos saith Naucler It was first imposed in the yeare one thousand and foure hundred it was not vsed in England when Naucler wrote as he witnesseth that is not before the yeare one thousand fiue hundred so odious an abuse so lately bred might soone be remoued if the cup of these sweete wines wherein the Pope began had not beguiled many men 152. When Boniface the ninth had begun this oppression much money was thereby gathered from the Clergie throughout the Emperours Dominions the money being thus collected was deteined by the greedy Emperour Wenceslaus from the more greedy Popes This turned the hearts of the Popes against him therefore Gregory the ninth deposed him and set vp Rupertus Count Palatine of Rhene against him George King of Bohemia 153. AFter the death of Ladislaus King of Bohemia who died without issue two great Kingdomes of Bohemia and Hungaria with the Duchy of Austria being vacant many Princes sought the Kingdome of Bohemia Charles King of Fraunce whose daughter Ladislaus married would haue placed one of his sonnes Casimire King of Polonia hauing married a sister sought it in her right so did Guilliam Duke of Saxony who married the elder sister of Ladâ—…slaus Sigismund and Albert Dukes of Austria were in good hope and Frederick the Emperour would haue had the administration of the Kingdome because the homage due to the Empire had beene neglected When the day of Election came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was chosen King and afterward confirmed by Fredericke the Emperour but Paul the second finding that this George fauored the Hussites or as Platinâ—… saith daily withdrew himselfe from the body of Christianity meaning from the obedience of the Pope did excommunicate and depose him setting vp Mathiâ—… King of Hungary against him Mathiâ—… gaue the Bohemians a great ouerthrow in the yeare one thousand foure hundred and 〈◊〉 and with such mortall hatred was Pope 〈◊〉 set against this King that he sent many Bishoppes to negociâ—…te these warres and to raise vp the Hungarians and Germanes against him and so farre preuailed that he eâ—…tinguished all the posterity and discent of George and would saith 〈◊〉 vtterly haue rooted out all the name and memory of the Heretickes vnlesse the Polonians had stayed 〈◊〉 For the Polonians claimed the Kingdome of 〈◊〉 as due to them 〈◊〉 being already busied enough with the warres of the Turke thought good not to draw new troubleâ—… vpon himselfe by prouoking the Polonians Thus the Pope rested at that time contented with the blood of George and his children seeing the power of his malice could then proceed no further King Iohn of Nauâ—…rre 154. POpe Iulius the second the scourge of Christendome in his time vsed the like courtesie to Iohâ—… King of Nauarre for when this Vicar of Christ 〈◊〉 raised warres against the French King Iohâ—… King of Nauâ—…rre held as he had reason with the French King being a French-man by birth and hauing the greatest part of his paâ—…imony in Fraunce 〈◊〉 King of Arragon then fauoured the Pope This 〈◊〉 prepared warre against the French King and to turne the mindes and speech of all men vpon the French warres from that purpose which secretly hee intended hee intreated Henry the â—…ighth King of England to send him an Army to helpe him in the warres of Franâ—…e King Henry hauiâ—…g maried the daughter of Ferdinand sent him sixe thousand footmen these came to the Frontiers of France and there stayed long for the army of Ferdiâ—…nd who for his better passage into Fraunce required of Iâ—…hn King oâ—… Nauarre through whose Dominions hee was to passe that he would deliâ—…er vp to his hands three of the strongest Castles that he would demaund the request as vniust was denied by the King of Nauarre Ferdinaâ—…d referreth the matter to the Pope The Pope Iâ—…lius not regarding the iustice or iniustice of the cause pronounceth the King of Nauarre a Schismaticke and Hereticke for fauouring the French King and therefore depriueth him of his kingdome and giueth his right to Ferdinand Who thereupon sent his army of a suddaine against the King of Nauarre who fled into France Thus was the kingdomâ—… of Nauarre surprised and no title pretended sauing onely the Popes excommunication The state of Venice 155. IT were too long to recompt all the mischiefes and miseries that the Popes Excommunications haue brought vpon Christendome I haue collected the chiefe and most eminent and will end this discourse with the memory of that affliction and desolation which the Pope brought vpon the Venetians Iulâ—…s the second following the steppes of his predecessours brought an armie before Bononia besieged the towne and tooke it The familie of the Bentiuoli he vtterly ruinated killing some banishing other When thus hee had ouerthrowne the Bentiuoli Then he set himselfe in like sort to root out the Venetian name Ad venetâ—… 〈◊〉 excidiuâ—… saith 〈◊〉 The better to effect the malice against the Venetians he drew 〈◊〉 the Emperour the French King the King of Spaine the Duke of Ferrara and the Duke of Mantua into a league when first himselfe had excommunicated and câ—…sed them hee set all these vpon them at once The Pope made choice of a fit time to doe them the greatest hurt he could for a little before this the state of Venice was brought so low that a weake enemie might soone haue â—…dangered them hauing had their whole army brought vnto Internecion at Abdua after that ouerthrowen in a great battell by Lewes the French King their chiefe generals Liuianus taken prisoner Petilianus put to flight The Pope tooke the aduantage of this their weakenesse and seeing them falling labored to thrust them headlong that they might neuer be able to rise againe Mâ—…ximilian tooke Verona Vicetia Padway Carni the French King surprised Bergamum Brixia Cremona Crema the Spaniard wan Tranum Monopolis and Barletta in Apulia The Popes share was Rauenna Ariminum all Aemilia The Duke of Ferrara got Rodigium and the Duke of Mantua Asula Thus was that noble state brought in manner to vtter ruine 156. Iulius hauing thus satisfied his malice and obtained his purpose in some measure against the Venetians being ledde by a spirit that would giue him no rest began to turne his furious wrath in like sort against 〈◊〉 contrary to his faith often promised and