a band-dog or Cerberus than this But as I haue alreadie said this boldnes of the pope against the king of Nauarr is not greatly to be woondered at séeing such was his vnbridled furie against the most mightie king of France Wherefore let vs heare rather other testimonies of like and the same pride for it is not for man to contend with satan in railing spéeches and it shall be sufficient to vse that curse of Michael the archangell The Lord Jude 1. 9. rebuke thee Therefore to returne to our purpose we must not passe ouer that testimonie of the same popish seruice which is reported touching the same Boniface who in the yéere 1300. when there was great concourse of people at Rome by reason of the Iubilie in the first solemne day the pope shewed himselfe to the people in his Pontificalibus the day following hauing on the attire of the emperor he commanded a naked sword to be borne before him crieng with a lowd voice I am the pope and emperor and I beare rule in earth and heauen And a few daies after hée proudly reiected Albertus created emperor by the electors of Germanie when he came to craue his confirmation denieng that the election had without his authoritie ought to be counted firme séeing he alone had the authoritie of both swords After some good space he confirmed him vpon condition that with al expedition he shuld make war against the French king whose kingdome he gaue him for a pray and reward of his victorie Which things are witnessed by Cuspianus in the life of Albertus in the chronicle of Vsperge and by the writers of the French chronicles But to what end do we prosecute these light and trifling things We haue before declared that the pope of Rome doth claime by the donation of Constantine the empire of al the west parts These be but bare words Wherefore let vs looke into the thing it selfe For we denie that there is any king in the west I meane of France Spaine Aragon Portugal Hungarie Bohemia England Scotland Denmarke Sueueland Ruscia Croatia Dalmatia whom the papacie of Rome will not haue to be vassall and feudatarie to it as if he had receiued his kingdome from him as a fée and benefit and ought for that cause to ow allegeance and to do homage to him It is much that we say and almost incredible to be spoken but the truth shall appéere by instruments that we wil bring to light and by testimonies that we will vse For we wil touch euery realme according to the order of the letters Of that of England AVgustine Steuchus the maister of the popes librarie doth witnes in his book of the donation of Constantine that in 2. pag. 138. that librarie of the popes there is extant a register of pope Alexander the 3. wherein is found an epistle to William king of England For as we vnderstand by that booke of Steuchus the maister of the librarie all the actes of euerie pope are written in seuerall registers to the which what credit we ought to giue the verie rule of the law doth show wherein it is said that a priuate writing must be beléeued but onely against the writer himselfe Therfore this was Alexander his epistle Your wisedome knoweth that the kingdome of Englande sithence the time that the name of Christ was there glorified hath bin vnder the hand and tuition of the chiefe of the Apostles For as you know full well the Englishmen were faithfull and in respect of godly deuotion and knowledge of religion they gaue a yeerely pension to the apostolike sea wherof some part was giuen to the bishop of Rome some part to the church of S. Marie which is called the schoole of the Englishmen to the vse of the brethren These things are cited out of Steuchus But I finde these testimonies in other places besides Steuchus Flauius Blondus in his 6. booke Decad. 2. Then saith he Iohn king of England fearing that he was not of sufficient force to deale with the French king fled to the mercy of Innocentius the third pope of Rome for making England and Ireland feudataries to the church of Rome by league he promised to pay for either Iland an hundred markes in gold yeerely Antonie of Florence saith * Iohn king of England of his own accord Hist. part 3. tit 19. §. quinto anno 1223. by the counsell of his princes offered and did freely grant to God and his most holie Apostles Peter Paul and to the holie church of Rome and to the lord Innocentius the third being pope all the kingdome of England and also of Ireland with all their rights and appurtenances and he hath done and sworne homage for the same kingdomes to the saide Innocentius the pope that he should hold them hereafter as a feudatarie of the said pope and his successours Whereof also Polidore Virgill maketh mention in his 15. booke By this instrument of the pope if as I said we may giue credence to a priuate writing the realme of England is feudatarie to the pope Go to let vs sée the rest Of the kingdome of Arragonia STeuchus in the selfe same booke * saith Pag. 193. Peter king of Arragonia in the third yeer of the L. Innocentius the third being pope came to Rome to the same Innocentius and he receiued from him solemnely an honorable knighthood and he offered willinglie to S. Peter and to the holie church of Rome his whole kingdome and there he had for his fee the same kingdome Also he appointed to pay a certaine summe of money for the kingdome of Sardinia Of the kingdome of Croatia and Dalmatia STeuchus in the same booke * in the register of Gregorie the seauenth we reade thus In the name of the lord of the holie Pag. 191. and indiuisible Trinitie in the yeere of the Lords incarnation one thousand seuenty sixe in the 14. indiction of the moneth of October I Demetrius which am also called Suinumir by the grace of God duke of Croatia and Dalmatia being made and constituted by thee L. Gebizus hauing the power of Pope Gregorie by the ambassage of the apostolike sea by the synodall and generall election of the whole cleargie and people in the Solantine church of S. Peter and being inuested and appointed king in the gouernment of the kingdome of the Croatians and Dalmatians by the banner sword scepter and crowne to thee I vowe and promise that I will vnchangeably fulfill all things which thy reuerend holines shall inioine me that I may keepe mine oth to the Apostolike sea in all things and that I may keepe irreuocably whatsoeuer as well the sea apostlike as the legates thereof haue or shall establish in this realme that I may execute iustice and defend the church also I appoint to pay to S. Peter yeerely in the resurrection of the Lord the tribute of two hundred Bizanties of al my consulships and primacies for the kingdome granted to me Furthermore seeing to
mine owne eies touching me out of heauen vnder which I knew I was cleansed from leprosie For who séeth not that this inuention is of the same sort whereof those be which we read euerywhere in the booke of the Conformities of Francis or in the life of Dominick The ninth bicause it is not likely that pope Syluester and his deacons would be so improuident that they would baptize Constantine a most deadly enimie to Christians and especially to the church of Rome so soone and suddenly after he had told them his dreame and would not first teach him the mysteries of Christ and religion as they vse to do to those whom they catechize Moreouer Zosimus an enimie to Christian religion as I said reporteth that he was taught that religion by a certaine Spaniard and learned how great the force therof was in blotting out mens sinnes and that then he banished out of his court soothsaiers and flamines and other priests of the Romish superstitions The tenth bicause principall authors and historiographers do witnes that Constantine onely a little before his death and in the yéere of his age 65. was baptized and that not at Rome neither yet by Syluester the pope who was dead almost fiue yéeres before but at Nicomedia by Eusebius of Nicomedia in a great assemblie of bishops Thus writeth Eusebius in his fourth booke of his life Hierome in his Chronicles Rufinus in his first booke and eleuenth chapter Socrates in his first book chapter 39. Theodoret in his first booke chapter 31. Ambrose in his booke of the death of Theodosius Neither must we giue credence to Nicephorus who in his seuenth booke 35. chapter when he writeth that he was baptized at Rome addeth afterward that he followeth the church of Rome therein as his authour Especiallie séeing Vincentius in his 24. booke of histories feared not to write according to S. Hierome that Constantine did truellie murder his wife Fausta and his son Crispus and that in the later end of his life he was baptized by Eusebius bishop of Nicomedia The eleuenth bicause it is not likelie if Constantine had appointed to cure his disease with the warme blood of infants either that he would haue their throtes cut openlie by the priests of the Capitolium or that he néeded so much blood that a whole cesterne might be filled therewith No more credible is that that Constantine did so long oppugne christian religion but that he had hard somwhat of Peter and Paul most famous Apostles of Christ and that he was not so vnskilfull in christian affaires that after he was raised out of that dreame he should aske of Siluester what gods they were that were called Peter and Paul for though he had learned nothing saue the vision only it is not likely that Peter Paul did boast themselues before him for gods The thirtéenth bicause it had bin a wicked thing to haue acknowledged that he had receiued the benefite of his health rather at the hands of Peter who was Gods messenger than from God himselfe from whom Peter was sent to him Secondly to Peter alone rather than to Peter Paul iointly For he vseth these words And by the benefits of the same Peter I felt the health of my bodie returne most fully and perfectly Also that is more absurde that is written that Constantine hauing fiue sons did notwithstanding according to the sentence of all his dukes which word is altogither new geason and vnused in the lawes and moniments of the emperors of Rome and of his whole senate and nobles and of all the people that was in subiection to the Romane empire gaue halfe his empire to a seelie poore priest séeing al men know that the senate of Rome retained their countrey superstitions not onely at that time but also vntill the empire of Valentinian which we vnderstand by the epistle of Simmachus writtē to the emperors Valentinian Theodosius and Arcadius * wherein in the Lib. 10. Epist. 54. name of the senate of Rome he praieth them that superstition and worshipping of Idols may be restored againe in the citie of Rome whom S. Ambrose in two epistles written to the same emperor Valentinian and Aurelius Prudentius in godly and fine verses answereth As absurd is it and altogither vnméete for a christian bishop which followeth that Constantine did not onely giue power equall with his imperiall power to pope Syluester but also greater principalitie of power than saith he our princely soueraigntie is knowne of all men to haue And shortlie after Giuing him power and dignitie of glorie strength efficacie and honor imperiall Touching which matter and the ambition of the popes it is woorth the paines to heare the iudgement of Barnard abbat of Clareuall written to Eugenius the pope in his second booke of consideration Learne saith he by the example of the prophets to sit as chiefe not so much to beare rule as to do that which time requireth Learne that thou hast need of a weedhook not of a scepter that thou maist do the worke of a prophet Also Admit thou dost take these things thy self by som other meanes yet not by apostolike right For Peter could not giue thee that he had not that he had he gaue carefulnes for the churches Did he giue lordship Heare what he saith Not as ouer Gods heritage but being a patterne to the flock And least thou think it to be spoken onely in humilitie and not in truth it is the voice of the Lord in the Gospell The kings of the nations reign ouer thē but you shal not do so It is plain the apostles are forbidden lordship Therfore go thou vsurpe greedilie to thy selfe either lording it apostleship or being apostolike lordship Thou art flatlie forbidden to do either If thou wilt haue both togither thou shalt loose both No more tollerable is it that he addeth that he giueth to the pope of Rome principalitie ouer foure principall seas of Antiochia Alexandria Constantinople and Hierusalem Wherein we finde not onely manifest but also ridiculous falsehoode First bicause there was not as yet anie Constantinople which began to be builded afterward in the tenth yéere of the empire of Constantine as Nicephorus witnesseth * Lib. 8. cap. 4. and all the citizens were for the most part giuen to idolatrie at that time So far off is it that there was there either any church or any mother-citie of the churches or prerogatiue Also that is lesse tollerable that followeth that the pope of Rome is placed ouer all churches in the whole world For I omit that which we shewed in another place that this is a most true most certain mark of antichrist whē any man taketh to himselfe principality ouer al churches But we plainly sée notorious madnes of the popes in this place which also we touched briefly in another place séeing they auouch out of this instrument that they had that principalitie by the gift of Constantine which notwithstanding in infinite other
or to sing and say their masses furnished and armed with brest-plates helmets tergats swords with other weapons Onely so Yea saith he as the emperor his power is adorned with diuers offices of chamberlaines door-keepers and garders so we wil haue the holie church of Rome garded and adorned and that they ride vpon horses most white and that like as our senate vseth shooes with latchets * so let them be clad in most white linnen Is there any of so great a number of the Senators of the king of France who when he remembreth the humilitie and modestie of Christ and his apostles doth not with all praiers detest this pride and hautines of the popes Moreouer he saith that if the pope will choose any of Constantines senators into the order of the clergie let them not proudly refuse that honor With a mischiefe what tyrannous barbarisme is this that it is lawful for any college of clerks to choose at their pleasure any one of the order of the senators whom they will also make a clerke or munke against his will He procéedeth and that the lawiers may remember that a doubled spéech hath greater force he saith again that he giueth both his pallace and citie of Rome and the prouinces places and cities of all Italie and of the west countries to all the popes of Rome vntil the end of the world Moreouer he adioineth the forme of his grant and deliuery that he may afterward translate himselfe vnto the East countries hauing left the empire of the West in the popes possession and that he may place the sea of his empire in Bizantia adding moreouer a very fit cause Bicause saith he it is an vnmeet thing that an earthly king should beare rule in that countrie where the head of Christian religion and the principalitie of priests is placed by the king of heauen He did excellently make himselfe the beginning of this sentence for in the time of Constantine that is two hundred yéeres before Iustinian the deliuerance of the emptie possession was requisite to make a donation but there be many other things that do disturbe the matter First bicause if Constantine gaue to Syluester the emptie possession of that countrie he could not afterward in his will leaue it to his sonne Constantius séeing the alienation of any thing made among those that are aliue doth leaue no place for making anie will l. 6. c. de test l. sequens 52. D. de leg 2. thereof * But if the donation were made after that diuision made among his sons it was plainly void and of none effect bicause the diuision that a father maketh among his sonnes hath the force of a testament l pen. l. vlt. C. fam excisc cum similibus and therefore of a last will Secondly with what godlines could Constantine who had thrée sonnes and two daughters do so great iniurie to his children as to depriue them of halfe their inheritance and to giue the same to a stranger especially to a wretch and vile person For that is a pretie saieng of Augustine Whosoeuer he be that will disinherit his sonne and make the church his heire let him seek another to take it than Augustine Where also the fact of that 17. q. vlt. c. vlt. bishop is cōmended who restored al again to a certaine testator who hauing no children left his goods to the church then afterward had children contrarie to his hope and expectation Which selfe same thing is set downe 13. q. 2. c. si quis irascitur But nothing is so ridiculous as is that reason of his purpose which the counterfet Constantine addeth That it is vnmeet that in the same citie wherein a priest sitteth as chiefe the emperor should haue the sea of his empire Wo to thy head most holie hangman For what shall we say of Salomon of Aza of Iozia and other godlie kings of the Israelites who placed the sea of their kingdome at Ierusalem What of Theodosius who had his at Mediolanum But that we may not go far for examples what shall we say of Constantius sonne to Constantinus who according to his fathers testament did not onely exercise his empire and iurisdiction at Rome but also he put from the popedome and thrust out of Rome pope Liberius for taking vpon him the defence of Anastasius a bishop a certaine magician sacrilegious person as Theodoricus Zozomenus and Ammian Marcellin lib. 15 haue left it written But now let vs returne to our purpose for last of all there is a fearfull decrée set downe If any saith he of our successors shall be a violater or contemner let him be subiect to eternall damnation being insnarled and let him burne in the neathermost hell with the diuell and the wicked But Constantine brought this curse first vpon himselfe who as we said euen now in his last wil gaue the empire of the West to his eldest son finally he was bound with the same curse whosoeuer possessed as his owne either the West or any part of the West either by the name of king or duke or by any other name And by this reason there hath béene none that hath béene king either of France or Spain héertofore that burneth not in the neathermost hel with the diuell and all the wicked And now can we find any so ignorant of the Latin toong that séeth not that the maner of spéech which the writer of the same instrument vseth is far vnlike to the custome of that age Which part of reprehension Platina did not omit in that Syluester But Laurentius Valla a man of most sharpe iudgement in this kinde did more at large prosecute it Whereto we will adioine this one thing if anie man consider the maner of phrase wherein the lawes of Constantine are written in the booke of Theodosianus and Iustinian he shal soone perceiue without any great ado that this instrument came out of the same shop which we shewed before out of the Conformities of Francis or out of the life of Dominick And we must not passe ouer with silence another cosoning knacke of a certain latter pope of Leo the 10. as it séemeth who to the end he might with some color couer that corruptiō of spéech basenes of stile he heaped falsehood vpon falsehood For he suborned a certaine hungrie Grecian called Bartholomew Picernus and afterward Augustine Steuchus the maister of his librarie to saie that they found in I cannot tell what librarie of the popes that instrument written in the Gréeke toong and that then they translated it somwhat more fitly into the Latine toong Which inuention Gregorie the 13. hath now of late confirmed in the last edition of the decrée of Gratian. But all the lawes of Constantine are extant in the foresaid bookes of Theodosianus and Iustinian written in the Latin toong though they were published both at Constantinople and in a citie of the Grecians and among the Grecians Furthermore Eusebius in his thirde booke
vsed long ago c. Where is that principalitie that was long ago giuen to the pope of Rome ouer the churches of the whole world by the emperor Constantine Let vs heare the next generall Synod gathered twentie yéeres after at Chalcedon that is in the yéer of Christ cccclj For when the bishop of Constantinople by reason of the sea of the east empire placed in his citie was sicke of the like and very same disease of ambition whereof our bishop of Rome is now sicke he did effect by his policie and subtil shifts that that mother citie which had so great dignitie should haue a certain priuilege aboue the rest and that he alone should appoint the Metropolitans of Asia Pontus and Thracia Whereby it came to passe that the authoritie of the church of Antiochia so greatly cōmended by Chrysostom and established first in the Nicene Synod and then afterward in the Synod of Constantinople was quite ouerthrowen Also by these deceits it was brought to passe that fower men should be appointed to gouerne the whole world who had metropolitans vnder their dominion or prouince For Africa was granted to the bishop of Alexandria the west to the bishop of Rome and to the bishop of Constantinople almost all that part of Europa and Asia except a few churches which were left to the bishop of Hierusalem for the antiquitie and authorities sake of the citie Therefore when as in times past archbishops patriarks and metropolitans were all one and were called by so many names confusedly somtimes by one somtimes by another afterward there were onely fower archbishops made who were also called patriarks which did beare rule ouer the metropolitans as we haue alreadie said For in the 28. chapter of the same Synod it is thus written And where the lawes of our most holie fathers that follow the same things do we also determine and decree touching the dignitie and excellencie of this most holie Church of Constantinople being newe Rome For our fathers did woorthily giue the first degree of honor to the sea of old Rome bicause that citie did then reigne And vpon like consideration the Cl. bishops louing God most deerly haue giuen like degree of honor to new Rome note these words the most holie sea decreeing for good causes that that citie which hath got so great honor that it should be both the sea of the empire and that it should haue a senate and should haue like degree of dignitie as the old sea of the empire of Rome hath haue euen in ecclesiasticall affaires like honor and dignitie as it hath seeing it is next to it Where did then that principalitie and lordship of the pope of Rome hide it selfe which Constantine gaue him as it is said ouer al Churches Let vs heare the words of the second Synod of Constantinople out of the 36. chapter Renewing those things which were ordained by the 150. fathers which were assembled in this citie preserued by God and in this princely citie and by the sixe hundred and thirtie that were gathered togither in Chalcedon we decree that the sea of Constantinople haue like dignitie with the sea of old Rome and that it be magnified as well as the other in ecclesiastical businesses note these words seeing it is next to that and next to it let be the bishop of the great citie of Alexandria and next to this the bishop of Ierusalem But afterward the number of the archbishops was increased by little and little as pleased the emperors For the emperor Iustinian gaue that honor to the citie of his countrie Nouel 11. where hée writeth thus Being desirous to increase our countrie manie and diuers waies wherein we were borne by the appointment of God we command that the most holie bishop thereof be made not onely a metropolitan but also an archbishop and that certain prouinces be vnder the authority therof that is Dacia that lieth in the continent Dacia that lieth neere the sea coast Mysia the second and Dardania and Preualitana c. Also in the conclusion We decree that the archbishop thereof be ordained by the reuerend councell of metropolitans There were also other cities called by the same name Iustinians cities in Africa Instinians Carthaginensis which the same emperor adioined to the Romane empire in the yland Cyprus Iustiniana the country of his wife Theodora whereto Iustinian gaue like prerogatiue of right honor and dignitie Therefore by these appéereth the manifold impudencie of the popes of Rome first therein bicause in those times they reckon onelie fower patriarchies or archbishops seas also in that that they make their sea to surmount those fower seas do challenge to themselues superiority and iurisdiction ouer them secondly bicause they take to themselues the authoritie and power of those patriarks séeing it appéereth most euidently that that authoritie and power did belong to the emperors all which that they may appéere more plainly and euidently we will content our selues with one onely testimonie of the same Iustinian whose words are these in the 230 Nouel turned into Latin by Iulian Antecessor Therfore we command the most blessed patriarks that is the pope of Rome and of Constantinople and of Alexandria and of Theopolis that is of Antiochia and of Ierusalem seeing that it is a custome c. And by and by And the metropolitans which are consecrated by their counsell or by the most blessed patriarks or by the metropolitanes c. Also Nouel 131. Let the pope of Rome saith he sit aboue all bishops and patriarks and after him the bishop of the citie of Constantinople let the archbishop of the first Iustiniana haue vnder him the bishops of Dacia in the continent and Dacia toward the coast also those of Praeualena and of Dardania and of the vpper Mysia and of Pannonia and also let him bee consecrated by them and let him haue the same priuileges ouer them which the pope of Rome hath ouer the bishops that are placed vnder him Therfore it is euident that in the first times of Christian libertie there were only fower patriarks being all of equall honor dignitie iurisdiction authoritie degrée saue onely that the patriark of Rome sat vppermost in generall Synods bicause of the old dignitie of old Rome and that then the number of the patriarks was increased not by the pope of Rome but by the emperor of Rome so that there were first fiue then six then seuen and last of all eight for we reckoned so manie vnder Iustinian Wherby we will also haue men marke the notorious fraud and impudencie of the pope of Rome in corrupting that 36. chapter of the Synod of Constantinople For in Gratian dist 22. c. renouantes they haue thus translated the Gréeke words of the Synod Renewing the decrees of the holie Councell of Constantinople we craue yea we decrée 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the sea of Constantinople haue like priuileges which the former Rome hath Yet let it not be magnified in
celebrated and ended might be counted firme and good through his authoritie let vs beware least he condemne the most mightie king of France his most honorable brethren and the quéene their moother of most cruel wickednes by whose direction and who being authors and counsellors that matrimonie was contracted Furthermore he condemneth all the princes of the blood roiall and al the chiefe nobles of the realm of France which were present both at that contract and also at the masse celebrated at fower of the clock after noone and with their presence did set foorth the solemnitie of that matrimonie But the pope doth with these words wound none so déepelie and sharplie as the foresaide most noble prince the cardinall of Borbon who he saith did celebrate that matrimonie betwéene his nephew by his brother and the king of France his sister contrarie to the holie canons to omit the bishop who soong the masse with so great solemnitie in the chiefe church of Paris and the deane and the subdeane which soong togither with him the canons of the same church and the other musitians and organ plaiers which bare them companie all which if that matrimonie were wicked and incestuous the pope ought either to haue excommunicate or else to haue absolued from the censures and penalties which they had incurred Who is he that can abide that barbarous and fierce arrogancie that a disciple of Francis Bernardo dare condemn a king whom he bosteth to haue béen called by him most Christian of so great wickednes and to say that he procured the incestuous and wicked marriage betwéen his sister and kinsman And now who is he of so great a number of cardinals that can patiently abide that this Franciscan shuld offer this reproch to the memory of the former pope Gregorie that he shuld say that he granted licence to the sister of the most christian king to marrie with a notorious heretike that he did either no◠grant that libertie to the heretike or else that he did it after he had abiured Doth he not in these words flatly mocke Gregorie being dead as if he had béene another pope Celestine whom Iohn Andreas Baldus Iason and others do write to haue béen a beast bicause in the morning he granted grace and in the euening he reuoked it whereupon the cardinals though they knew that through foolishnes he had renounced the papacie yet bicause he was a beast they did willingly accept his renountiation and they created Boniface the eight who is depainted to be a fox in his entrie a lion in his sitting and a dog in his fal Baldus writeth thus in as manie words * But if we must come néerer in c. 1. de natur feud Jason in concil 145. circa primam nu 2. vol. 2. what I pray you will our vncowled frier saie and set downe touching that old and famous contention of the popes one whereof namely Celestine the thirde granted power to either partie of a married couple to contract new matrimonie if the other were fallen into heresie another namely Innocentius the third doth not grant it * But the impudent foole wil c. quanto Extra de diuort answer first that which we saide before that there be but few friers found that are good canonists secondly that though pope Boniface the eight said that the popes do containe all lawes in the chest of their breast * yet Baldus wrote no lesse trulie c. 1. de constit lib. 6. that though the pope inasmuch as he is pope is doctor of both lawes yet he is for the most part doctor in authoritie not in knowledge as saith Iason * Therfore let in l. praescriptione col 2. C. si contra ius vel vtilit pub the first follie of this article be shewed thereby in that the pope durst saie that wicked matrimonie was contract by the will studie and authoritie of the kings and of the quéene their moother The second is vnderstood thereby in that he writeth that he dispensed that that matrimonie might be contract bicause of the abiuration aforegoing which was ended so long before that abiuring The third therby that he saith that he dispensed that matrimonie once contracted should be contracted againe furthermore as if lawfull acts such as it is euident matrimonie is could be iterated For as touching that he saith concerning the second degrée of consanguinitie we shal héerafter in a more fit place shew how this cōmeth to passe But now let vs sée some more things He sent Iohn lord of Duratium his orator that he shuld make promise for his repentance and conuersion in the sight of the seate apostolike Looke out of what shop the letters came out of the same came that legate namely from those which threatened death to the yoong man being taken and terrified with weapons vnlesse he would obey them to saie as they said But I pray you what maner riddle is this In the sight or presence of the seat apostolike Whether was there some séeing and eied seat carried thither or is it that which the popes call Stercoraria or the dunghill in the pontifical booke others Testiculatrix or that whereon they grope them from which they giue sentence either of the abilitie or inabilitie of the new installed pope And surely it pleaseth vs well to recite that plesant iest concerning the Stercoraria or dunghill seat out of the first booke of the popes ceremonies Sect. 2. c. 3. The pope that is created is led by the prior and Chanons of the Laterane church vnto a seat of marble which is called Stercoraria or the dunghill and there they make him sit down vnto whom the cardinals come and lift him vp honorably saieng He raiseth the needie out of the dust and lifteth the poore out of the mire that he may sit with the princes and possesse the seat of glorie Then riseth the pope and taketh out of the treasurers lap that standeth by him so much monie as he can hold in his fist wherin yet notwithstanding there may be no gold at al and throweth it among the people saieng Siluer and gold haue I none but that which I haue giue I thee Whether do we thinke that this is follie of the popes deseruing to be laughed at or rather a detestable custome of profaning the word of God But let vs hold on in the bull it may be we shal find foolisher things It followeth But he as he was of a diuers and inconstant mind did shortly after fall away from the catholike faith and from due obedience toward the apostolike sea Whether then may we call this follie or madnes The king of Nauarre was falsely thought to haue returned to the obedience of the sea of Rome and the same being of an inconstant mind fell from the same Yea truly there appéered great and altogither singular constancy in that yong man who being day and night beset with armed men did yet notwithstanding continually séeke meanes to escape that
being frée and at libertie he might detest that which he had done being inforced by violence and feare It followeth He hath often raised vp heretiks rebels and seditious persons to beare armes against the most Christian king against him and the rest of the catholikes This Latin of the popes agréeth with the rest of his subtilties The king of Nauarre raised heretiks against the most christian king against him and the rest of the catholikes But let vs rather marke the meaning of these words For the king of Nauarre did neuer beare weapon against the most Christian king but against the popes conspirators and the companions of the popes tyranny his adiutors and ministers and finally against the authors of periurie and treacherie as the king himselfe hath most plainly testified in very many edicts tending to pacification Therefore our chiefe cowled frier doth wicked iniurie in this place to the most mightie kings of France séeing he durst charge their maiestie with lieng by whom it hath béen so often declared in edicts tending to pacification that those that tooke part with the king of Nauarre prince of Condie made war not against them but that it was taken in hand for preseruation of their dignitie and state It followeth He hath compelled his subiects with threatnings and strokes * to take the same capescere impietatem impietie To take the same impietie is a kind of popish eloquence But that any man was inforced these twenty yéers to change his religion either by those that tooke part with the King of Nauarre or Prince of Condie is as true as it is certaine and sure that neuer any beast in the brothel-houses of Rome was more impudent than Sixtus the fift in powring out lies Though it be well and we must thanke this pope that he accuseth those by whom silly captiues were inforced by threatenings and stripes to change their religion For as Lactantius wrote most truly religion cannot be inforced the thing must be done rather by words than stripes But bicause Lactantius doth so dispute in that place that he séemeth purposely to handle the cause both of the king of Nauarre and also of the French churches it is woorth the paines to heare his reasons The aduersaries saith he do feigne that they giue counsell to godlie men and that they would call them backe to a good mind Do they then seeke to do this by any speech or by any reason they render No surely but by violence and torments O strange and blind madnes it is thought there is an euill mind in them which go about to keep faith but in the hangman a good Is there an euill mind in those which are pluckt in peeces contrarie to the law of humanitie against all right Or rather in those which do these things to the bodies of innocents which neither most cruell robbers nor most angrie enimies nor most furious barbarians haue at any time done And by and by after And bicause they can do nothing by violence for the more the religion of God is depressed the more is it increased let them rather deale by reason and exhortations Let the bishops and such as are priests and prelates of religions come foorth Let them call vs togither to an assemblie These are the daily requests of the king of Nauarre and such as haue often béene deliuered to the king of France Let them draw out the sharpnes of their wit If their reason be true let it be brought we are readie to heare if they teach vs. Surely we giue no credence to them so long as they keepe silence as we yeeld not one inch when they rage Let them imitate vs or let them lay downe the reason of the whole matter For we do not intise as they obiect but we teach allow shew Therefore we retaine no man against his will For he is vnprofitable for God which wanteth faith and deuotion And yet no man departeth the truth hir selfe retaining him Let them teach thus haue they any confidence of the truth let them speake learne I say let them be so bold as to dispute any such thing with vs surely the old women whom they contemne and our boies shall now laugh at and mocke their error and follie What fitter thing and more appertinent to the state of these our times could Lactantius write for the king of Nauarre and French churches He procéedeth Butcherie and godlines are greatly contrarie neither can either truth be ioined with violence or iustice with crueltie Thus far goeth Lactantius wherby appéereth plainly how well the lawes of those old churches and of our churches agrée togither It followeth in the bul He sent a certaine deere friend of his being furnished with wicked pollicies without the borders of France by whom he imparted his wicked counsels with the chiefe heretiks and he prouoked their forces and arms against the catholike religion and the power of the bishop of Rome It is nothing appertinent to declare whom our frier meaneth in these words onely we will say thus much Though he whom he calleth the déere friend of the king of Nauarre holdeth a place méete for his birth among the greatest noble men of France and pope Sixtus the fift came of late out of the beggerie and filth of friers yet will not that noble man disdaine to charge him with an impudent lie and to send him sir reuerence of the hearers this paper of defiance if he will haue anie taken out of the 51. leafe of his conformities The diuell tempted Ruffine saieng Thou art damned and Francis himselfe is damned whosoeuer followeth him is deceiued Which when Ruffinus had told Francis Francis answered If he appeere againe and say any thing againe tell him namely the diuell Open thy mouth and I will vntrusse a poynt in it Afterward as Ruffinus did pray the diuel appeered to him again in the likenes of Christ saieng Brother Ruffinus did not I tel thee that thou shouldest not beleeue the sonne of Peter Bernardo Why dost thou vex thy selfe and streightway Ruffinus said to him Open thy mouth and I will vntrusse a poynt in it Then the diuell being displeased departed from him in a rage and with a tempest Sir reuerence as we said before of the hearers But the impudent mouth of that frier should haue béen stopped with this short answer For neither did that noble man at any time make any mention of making war before either any kings or princes but onely of establishing loue and brotherlie good wil amongst the reformed churches Though who doth not sée how profitable it is for all Christendome that that wicked and bloodie murtherer of the Church of Christ that author and defender of feigned religions that he who is conuict of treading vnder foote the maiestie of kings and the most certaine firebrand of our countrie should be quite rooted out of the land of the liuing It gréeueth him indéed to be robbed of so great tributes which héertofore he had