cōmitted to him It followeth Casting down from their throne those that are mightier he throweth them downe euen to the ground as ministers of proud Lucifer How madlie the drunken frier inuadeth the place of Isaias * which doth properlie Ch. 14. concerne the popes of Rome and the vniuersall priests of the church For Gregorie the great doth plainly testifie that vnder the person of Nabuchadnosor the vniuersal pope is described For in hel there are brought in the damned kings princes comming out as it were to méete the pope and to welcome him comming vnto them after his death and mocking him thus Hell was afraide bicause of thee against the meeting of thy comming al the princes of the earth that are dead arise to thee All the kings of the nations rise out of their throns and they speak vnto thee on this wise Art thou also become weake as one of vs and art thou become like to vs Thy pride is drawne vnto the hell O Lucifer when didst thou fall from heauen thou sonne of the morning and art cut downe to the earth that didst terrifie the nations But thou saidst in thine hart I will clime vp into heauen I will exalt my throne aboue the stars of heauen I will clime vp aboue the height of the cloud and will become like to the most highest Those that see thee shall saie Is this he that troubled the earth and did shake kingdoms Now let vs heare Gregorie out of his fourth booke of Epistles ch 82. where he applieth that place of Isaias vnto him that did professe himselfe to be pope and vniuersall bishop I will clime vp saith he aboue the height of the clowdes I will be like to the most highest For what are all thy brethren the bishops of the vniuersall church but stars of heauen Before whom whiles thou couetest to set thy selfe by a worde of pride and to tread their name vnder foote in comparison of thee what else dost thou say but I will clime vp into heauen I will exalt my seat aboue the stars of heauen Whom whiles your brotherhood despising them doth go about to tread vnder foote what other thing saith it but this which the old enimie saith I will clime vp aboue the height of the clowds Al which things when I behold weeping c. By which words it is vnderstood that the place of Isaias concerning Lucifer cast downe into the neather most part of the earth and of his crueltie thrust downe into hell doth not belong to the most noble king of Nauarre than whom the sunne beholdeth nothing more méeke more gentle but vnto our Polyphemus Sixtus the fift and vnto his pride in treading vnder-foote the maiestie of kings But if we must cut the throat of this gyant with his owne sword lo we haue a plaine text in his owne decrée * where it is thus written Lucifer de poeniten dist 2. §. qui vero reprobi whiles that he presumed of himselfe in pride he was cast downe from paradyse into hell Also * Whiles Nabuchadnosor waxing proud in 23. q. 5. §. hinc notandum his hart said Is not this Babylon which I haue built c. God did foorthwith change his reasonable mind and he changed him into the forme of beastlines so that flieng from men he liued with beasts Which words he reciteth referring them vnto the pope which we wil haue especially noted and he commendeth Ludouike of Rome * But now let vs procéed in cons vlt. num 2. to the rest after we haue added that one thing out of the 38. leafe of the booke of the Conformities bicause mention is made of the seat of Lucifer The peace making Frier being caught vp into heauen whether in the bodie or without the bodie God knoweth let the readers consider how wickedly the vile munk doth mock the words of Paul and he saw in heauen manie seates amongst which he saw one higher than his fellowes bedeckt with pretious stone And he heard a voice saieng to him This was Lucifers seate and in his place shall humble Francis sit And this surely is that which we said before that Francis Bernardo togither with the rest of his stage plaiers and comicall mates shall haue a place in Lucifers kingdome so that we néed not greatly dispute whether Francis or pope Sixtus the fift a bishop of the order of Francis is worthie the seate It followeth in the bull According to the care for all chruches people and nations that lieth vpon vs. Good Lord What a burden hath our great cowled Frier taken vpon him séeing he hath taken vp vpon his shoulders the care both for all churches and people nations We will héerafter cease to woonder what is the cause that painters haue in his image painted the form of one that stoupeth Scarce Atlas who they say held vp heauen did beare a heauier burden What shall then become of vs if the pope begin to faint and faile vnder that so great a burden which he complaineth to lie vpon his shoulders alone They say that the cause of a certain melancholy persons gréefe was bicause he was afraid least Atlas who had so long borne so great a burden should at length sinke vnder it But we thinke it good to set downe in this place a certaine pleasant narration of William Budeus a man as I said before that loued his countrie and was very learned touching these Atlasses out of his fift booke De Asse A certain pleasant and merie preacher saith he was woont not long ago to cauill at them and to say that they seemed to him to be such as are those corbat images in churches which are set vpon posts or pillers For as we see some of these images as it were yeelding vnder their burden which are either in stead of corbats or else they reach without the mortesses of the corbats and they seeme to one that beholdeth them as if they tooke great paines and swet with bearing the worke whereas indeed they are without feeling and they help the strength of the stones nothing howsoeuer they seeme to take great paines so we see these Atlasses set and placed vpon the very tops of the pillers in the temple of the Lord hauing indeed that false honor and maiestie of titles like reuerend old men and their custome is to pretend holines and to beare a faire shew of reuerend old men that vnderprop the Lords sanctuarie but when we behold their blockish ignorance or dissolute carelesnes it is euident that they do no more good than images of stone But it séemeth that we ought not to omit that which Antoninus archbishop of Florence whom we haue sundry times before mentioned hath taught vs that when as long ago the pope began to faint vnder so great a burden there were some found that did vnderprop him with their shoulders namely Dominican Friers For he writeth thus * Dominic Histor. part 3. tit 23. §. 3. fol. 191. went
THE BRVTISH THVNDERBOLT or rather FEEBLE FIER-FLASH of Pope SIXTVS the fift against HENRIE the most excellent King of Nauarre and the most noble HENRIE BORBON Prince of CONDIE Togither with a declaration of the manifold insufficiencie of the same Translated out of Latin into English by CHRISTOPHER FETHERSTONE Minister of Gods word Nahum 3. I wil reueale thy filthines vpon thy face and wil shew thy nakednes amongst the nations and thy shame in the kingdoms Imprinted at London by Arnold Hatfield for G. B. and R. Newbery 1586 TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE LORD ROBERT DVDLEY Earle of Leicester Baron of Denbigh Knight of the most noble orders of the Garter and of S. Michael Maister of the Queenes horse one of hir Highnesse most honourable priuie Councel and Lord Lieutenant and Captaine general of hir Maiesties forces in the Low countries THE EXPERIence of your honorable acceptation of my last simple trauell in translating Maister Caluins Commentaries vpon Saint Iohns Gospell hath imboldened me further to present your Honor with another slender fruit of the same Which though it be not of like qualitie with the former yet I doubt not but it shal prooue profitable to as manie as with diligence and indifferencie shall vouchsafe it the pervsing The Author albeit not specified heerin by name seemeth to be a man of great reading singular iudgement and excellent dexteritie in handling the matter which he vndertooke The worke a notable discouery of that Abaddon or destroieng enimie the sonne of perdition that sitteth in the temple of God as God wherein both his defacing of the glorie of the sonne of God in heauen whose vicegerent he would be counted and his trampling vnder feete whatsoeuer is called God amongst men besides his manifold violences committed against the Church and Saints of God are most liuelie depainted and set before our eies Many woorthie wits of rare gifts haue trauelled in laieng open his vsurpations villanies and outrages with the originall and processe causes and effects precedents and consequents of the same acording as they were occasioned But this man hath drawen into one entire bodie a great manie memorable points which are dispersedly found in others so that he that listeth may at once take a view as it were of such an vglie monster as would trouble the strongest fantasie in the world to imagine and the most curious hand to pourtray the like Howbeit it is not much to be hoped for that the Italianate atheists and discontented Papists of which there are such swarmes amongst vs will any thing at all be mooued with the cleere light of these most euident demonstrations to reforme their iudgements and preiudicate opinions alreadie conceiued and rooted within them touching his pretended supremacie ouer Gods Church For it is greatly to be feared least by a iust iudgement of the almightie they are become past feeling so that they grope as the blind at noone day giuen ouer to all deceiueablenes of vnrighteousnes through a strong spirit of delusion bicause they would not receiue the loue of the truth that they might be saued But howsoeuer their harts be as hard as the adamant and their eies couered with the mist of palpable darknes euen to this day yet wisedom shal be iustified of hir children Whom God hath foreappointed to be beholders of his glorie they shall in their due time be inlightened with the knowledge of his sauing truth and come out of Babylon with as great speede as euer the Israelites posted out of Egypt Yea they shall clap their hands at the ruine of that Antichristian synagog which being now tottering and readie to fall to the ground laboreth with might and maine by force and fraud by treacherous attempts by cruell practises and open inuasions as it were by mingling heauen and earth togither to vphold it selfe as may be seene in most places of Europe at this day But he that sitteth in heauen laugheth them to scorne the Lord shall haue them in derision Whose words touching the ouerthrow of Babylon cannot fall to the ground but must be fulfilled in their time For doubtles Babylon must fal be rewarded according to hir works the kings of the earth shall loath and persecute this vniuersall strumpet to make hir desolate naked to eate hir flesh consume hir with fire Thrise blessed are they that band themselues togither bend their whole forces to execute these iudgements of the Lord which he hath decreed vpon hir In which respect your H. hath great cause to magnifie the Lord for his gratious mercies toward you in that he hath vouchsafed you this honor to stand in armes against one of hir principall louers in so iust and holie a quarell as is the maintenance of his sacred religion and the deliuering of the helplesse out of the hands of the oppressor so aduisedly and necessarily vndertaken by hir excellent maiestie A thing iustifiable by the lawes of God and man of nature and nations yea warranted by the like practise of most Christian Emperors in former ages and sundrie other good presidents of antiquitie Now seeing God hath dealt so mercifully with you it is your H. part to behaue your selfe valiantly and to fight the Lords battels with courage He is on your side therefore you are on the mountaines and your enimies in the vallies he shall be a brasen wall to defend you on euerie side if you set his feare before you and repose your trust in him The garde of his holie Angels shall be a surer protection vnto you than any trench bulwarke or fortresse you can deuise The praiers of all the godlie in the land being deeply touched with an inward sympathie and fellow-feeling of their neighbors calamities are powred out continually for your safetie and happie successe in this noble enterpise and your H. may be well assured that they shall procure more fauour to you at the hands of the Lord than any either aduersarie forces or associations of the holy Tridentine league shal be able to preuaile to the contrarie Wherfore my Lord arme your selfe with Christian courage policie and warines against these vncircumcised Philistins remember that they with whom you fight are deuowed vassals to that beast which is described in this booke whose power God be thanked hath been found too weake to shake the throne of our gratious Souereigne notwithstanding his often assaults His thunderbolts of excommunications and bannings haue beene esteemed as paper-shot by those noble Princes of the house of Borbon and Vendosme in France He sitteth in his Vaticane as one at his wits end destitute of counsel knowing that the assurance of his kingdom standeth but vpon one or two such Egyptian reedes as are mentioned by the prophet of no great safetie or suretie to be leaned vpon Should not the consideration of these things increase your fortitude and magnanimitie that you neuer faint nor giue ouer before you see a blessed end of your labors Which the Lord of heauen in a
Dominic was caried by the neighbors into the church in his tender yeeres to be put in a diuine office there was he left 5. From that time vntill the time of his youth we finde nothing authentically of the Lord saue onely that he increased in age as being true man in wisedome and fauor with God and men but this outwardly But Dominic did not onely increase in bodie but also in mind effectually 6. When the Lord was baptised by Iohn in Iordan the holie Ghost came downe in a doue vpon him to betoken the fulnes of grace and he went into the wildernes When Dominic saw the famine increase in all parts of Spaine and saw also that there were many that were in necessitie and that they had no comforter in feruencie of spirit he sold his bookes and stuffe and dispersed and gaue the price thereof to the poore and newly and apparently replenished as it were with the holie Ghost he did streightway betake himselfe to the rule vnder Didacus the bishop as another baptisme and spiritual desert sequestred from pleasures and worldly vanities 7. The Lord doth afterward gather togither a few disciples and in a short space multiplieth them sending them two and two to preach the kingdome of God Dominic taking with him but a few to lead a religious life had afterward a great number whom he appointed to preach the Gospell and to heale the sick 8. The Lord chose pouertie in himselfe and in his Apostles but he had bags to keepe those things that the faithfull did giue and these did Iudas carie but Dominic was a true louer of pouertie and exhorted his brethren to the same 9. The Lord when he led his disciples they were so hungrie that passing through the fields they plucked the eares of the corne they rubbed them in their hands to eate them and when it was now noone being wearie of his iournie he sent them into Sychar to buy meate and they eate therof by chance sometimes with vnwashen hands Touching the qualitie of the meate it is verily beleeued that they did eate no flesh but the Paschal lamb for the keeping of the law The patriarke Dominic who spent sometimes the whole Lent not onelie without meate but also without bread and water did moderate this sharpnes in his disciples giuing them leaue to drink wine and to eate white meates 10. Peraduenture some man will saie that it agreeth not with the similitude that the Lord said to his disciples Neither shall you haue shooes on your feete whereas notwithstanding Dominic and his go shod when they go abroad But we must know that that was a commandement during but for a time for which he granted a dispensation at his last supper For we may see that both the Lord did weare shooes in that which the Baptist saith whose shoo latchet I am not worthy to loose and also it was said to Peter in the Acts Take thine hose vnlesse some man say that he did weare hose but no shooes which was not commonly used And Marke a good imitator of him gaue a cobler his shoo to mende when it was broken So that the Lorde and his disciples went sometimes shod sometimes barefoote And so Dominic was shod when he was in cities but in his iourney he was oftentimes barefoote 11. When the Lorde was borne none other person but his owne mother Marie the virgin did wrap him in swadling clouts and when he was growne vp his mother hir-selfe with hir owne hands woue him his coate without seame and his other garments but of what colour it was we finde not namely least if it were knowne false prophets should weare the like and so should not be knowne to be rauening woolues The most blessed virgine Marie shewed Dominic and his order what apparell they should weare and also the colour thereof For she appeered to S. Raynold when he was sore sicke and healed him shewing him the garment which S. Dominic and his sonnes should weare namelie a great cope and a coat with a cowle al white 12. The Lord and Dominic being both virgins in mind and bodie and verie humble as the scripture doth witnes so Dominic was a most pure virgin and verie humble 13. Dominic as also Christ did not possesse his owne bed scarce resting his bodie on the grounde after his flood of teares 14. The Lords praier was alwaies heard when he would for which cause he said to the father I knewe that thou hearest me alwaies for though he were not heard in the garden when he praied that the cup might be taken from him this came to passe therefore bicause in asmuch he asked according to sensualitie he would not be heard according to reason But Dominic tolde a certaine religious man in the Lords words who was verie familiar with him that he did neuer ask any thing of God but he did obtaine it according to his desire 15. The Lord by his owne example did dedicate his Apostles to a mixed life that is a contemplatiue and actiue in preaching the virgin his mother and Magdalene to a contemplatiue For Marie stood at the feet of the Lord and heard his word Lu. 10. But Martha and the other women to an actiue So the Patriark Dominic like to another Noe made the arke of his religion which was made of wood glued togither with the morter of charitie hauing three roofes or loftes Placing his brethren togither with him in one to beholde heauenly things and to preach the mysteries of saluation taking to him the nunnes that were shut vp to contemplation in the second applying both men and women to the actiue life and in the thirde mansion bestowing the brethren and sisters which were called of the repentance of Iesus or the warrefare of Iesus Christ. 16. There departed 72. disciples from Christ being offended at the doctrine of Christ which they vnderstood not who when they departed Christ asked those that remained with him will you also depart But Peter answered in the name of them all Lord to whom shal we go And S. Dominic when he had with him some disciples being one day tempted they departed from him onely there staied three behinde to which Dominic also said will you also depart To whom one made answere God forbid father that forsaking the head we follow the feet At length as the disciples of Christ which went away returned to him againe so also the disciples of Dominic returned to him through his praier 17. The Lord did valiantly beare euen vntill death many mockes slanders and persecutions of those that sought to intrap him in his words sometimes to stone him somtimes to breake his necke Dominic did not regard scoffings reproches speakings against so that one did bind stubble vpon his back in mockerie others did cast dirt and other vile things at him 18. The Lord loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his blood And Dominic being not void of the perfection of charitie did bestow the
worshipped him as God as the successor of Christ and Peter he gaue him diuine honor so far as he could he worshipped him as the liuelie image of Christ. Thus writeth Steuchus in the foresaid booke printed at Lyons anno 1547. Of the same kind of impietie is that of the glosse in the preface of Clement The pope is neither god nor man but he is a neuter betweene both Also that other in ca. fundamenta de elect in 6. where when it was written in the text that the pope is subiect to no man he addeth thus And in this point the pope is no man but Gods vicar There followeth another blasphemie out of the booke of the popes ceremonies The pope saith he in the 1. tit 7. night of the natiuitie of the Lord doth blesse a sword which he doth afterward giue to some prince for a token of the infinit power giuen to the pope according to that All power is giuen me in heauen and earth Also He shall beare rule from the one sea to the other and from the riuer vnto the worlds end But there is no more deadly and detestable blasphemie found any where than is that * where in c. quoniam de immunit in 6. the pope calleth the Church his spouse We saith he being vnwilling to neglect our righteousnes and the righteousnes of our spouse the Church c. For all men agrée in this that this is proper to Christ onelie to be called the husband of the Church and that the Church should be called his spouse as it is in Paul * I haue coupled you to one husband 2. Cor. 10. to present you a pure virgin to Christ. But let vs heare other such as is that The pope is he whom the whole Church ought to obey 1. dist 93. Also When the pope dissolueth matrimonie C. inter corporalia de translat praelat it séemeth that God alone dissolueth it bicause the pope is canonically chosen to be God vpon earth The pope hath Fel. in cap. ego N. de iureiur the place vpon earth not of a pure man but of a true God Also If the pope should c. si Papa dist 40. thrust into hell whole troups of souls yet were it not lawfull for anie man to aske him this question Why doest thou this Is there any that thinketh aright of Christian religion which in these monsters of words doth not plainly know Antichrist of whom Paul saith thus 2. Thes 2. That wicked man shall be reuealed that sonne I saie of perdition which setteth and extolleth himselfe against that which is called God or diuine power so that he sitteth in the temple of God boasting himselfe as if he were God What that he durst also professe and openly boast that the force and holines of his seat is so great that what baudie person soeuer or man how wicked soeuer periured person or vngodlie person shall sit in that seat he doth drawe holines foorthwith from that sitting Of which wicked blasphemie this in cap. non nos dist 41. testimonie is extant Saint Peter transmised the euerlasting gift of his merits with the inheritance of his innocencie vnto his posteritie That which was granted him by the light of his actions appertaineth to those whom like brightnes of conuersation doth illuminate For who can doubt that he is holie whom the top of so great dignitie doth aduance In whom if good things gotten by merit be wanting those are sufficient which are performed by the predecessor of the place What me thinks we heare that fable which the poets feigned touching the thrée-footed stoole of Apollo and of the déepe hole from which came such a breth that so soone as the prophetesse of Apollo was once set vpon that stoole hauing receiued behind hir the spirit of diuination she did foorthwith powre Strab. 9. out oracles And yet that detestable blasphemie of the popes champion is shortly after a in c. multi most manifestly reprooued by the words of Chrysostom by which and sixe hundred other places of the decrée of Gratian we may iudge of the follie of that booke But go to let vs now bring to light other testimonies The pope is God vpon earth according to Baldus b in l. vltim c. sent rescind Decius in c. 1. de const Felin in c. ego N. de iure The pope and Christ make one consistorie so that except sinne the pope can do as it were al things which God can do and he can be iudged of none according to Abb c in c. licet de elect and those things he doth he doth them as god not as man d c. inter incorpor de translat praela Car. Paris in conc 63. num 162. vol. 4. The pope is a certaine diuine power and as it were bearing a shew of a visible God as Ludouicus Gomes saith e in reg cancel The pope can make righteousnes of vnrighteousnes f ca. debitus de appellat The pope can dispense against the Apostle and against the Apostolike canons g 31. dist c. lector 87. dist praesbyter The pope is aboue the law h c. proposuit de conc praeb That which the pope doth must be counted as don of God i c. quanto de transl praelat A part of which blasphemies Philip. Deci. k in consil 137 diligenter pro tenui num 3. vol. 1. reckoneth vp And Iason besides these before mentioned reciteth these out of the opinion of the same canonists which notwithstanding as it doth plainly appéere he doth not allow The pope is all and aboue al according to Baldus l in l. Barbarius De officio Praetoris The pope can do all things aboue law contrarie to law and without law according to Baldus m in c. cum super de causis prop. pos The pope is Lord of lords and he hath the authoritie of the King of kings ouer his subiects n in c. Ecclesia vt tit pendent according to Baldus The pope can change square for round according to Hostiensis o in c. cum venissent de iud It is sacrilege to doubt of the popes power p l. sacrilegij c. de crim sacril For the pope is the cause of causes Wherefore we must mooue no question about his power seeing there is no cause of the first cause according to Baldus q in d. c. Ecclesia vt tit pend And no man can say to the pope why dost thou so according to Specul r in tit de leg § nunc ostend ver 89. Bal in praelud feud Thus writeth Iason word for word ſ in consil 145. circa primam num 3. vol. 1. Which self same things in a maner he doth repeate againe only a few words being changed t in consil 95. requisitus coll pend vol. 4. Me thinks we haue set down arguments ynow of the first impietie of the
pope so that the famous Councellers of the king of France and the Senators of the Parleament may know and vnderstand that the most part of Christendome hath for most iust and weightie causes reiected and refused the papacie But notwithstanding we will ad moreouer some other things and that especially That the pope hath so great power both in purgatorie and also in hell that he may deliuer by his indulgences and foorthwith place in heauen and in the habitation of the blessed as manie soules as he will which are tormented in those places as it is in the bull of Clement the 6. and in Ant. Florent That the pope hath so great power in heauen part 3. tit 22. cap. 6. that he may canonize and place in the number of the Saints what dead man soeuer he wil maugre the heads of al the bishops and cardinals Thus writeth Troilus in tract de canonis sanct 3. dub Maluit By which and such like we may know how true that oration of Eberard somtimes Archbishop of Salisburge was which he made two hundred yéeres ago in a publike assemblie of the Empire of Germanie which we will recite out of the 7. booke of Iohn Auentine his Chronicle printed at Ingolstade anno 1554. The chiefe priests of Babylon saith he desire to reigne alone they cannot abide an equall They will neuer haue done vntil they haue troden all vnder their feete and they sit in the temple of God and they be exalted aboue all that which is worshipped Their hunger for riches and thirst for honor can neuer be satisfied The more you grant to a greedie man the more he desireth reach out your finger and he will couet your whole hand He which is the seruant of seruants doth couet further to be Lord of lords as if he were God He speaketh great things as if he were God He changeth laws he establisheth his owne he polluteth he robbeth he spoileth he coseneth he slaieth that wicked man whom they commonly call Antichrist in whose forehead is written a name of blasphemie I am God I cannot erre He sitteth in the temple of God he beareth rule far and wide Thus saith Eberard Moreouer in the same Auentine in the same booke there is extant this complaint of Frederike the 2. being Emperor in an epistle which he wrote to Otho Duke of Bauaria The popes of Rome do seeke after lordship and diuine power namely that they may be feared of all no otherwise yea more than God For it is euident that there be manie Antichrists amongst those Romanists and that none other are the ouerthrowers of Christian religion And shortly after That man that is called the pope namely being become verie wealthie with the great losse of Christian godlines doth thinke that he may do whatsoeuer he will as tyrants vse to do He will render an account of his doings to none As if he were God He vsurpeth that which belongeth to God alone that he cannot erre or be holden with anie religion of a lie he doth require most impudently and imperiously to be beleeued Thus writeth he Moreouer Erasmus in his Annotations of the new Testament 1. Tim. c. 1. doth witnes that in his time in the schooles of the diuines these things were woont to be called in question and disputed vpon Whether the pope could abrogate that which was decreed by the apostolike writings Whether he could decree any thing which is contrarie to the doctrine of the Gospell Whether he can make a new article of the faith Whether he haue greater power than Peter or like power Whether he can command the Angels whether he can take away all purgatorie whether he be onlie man O detestable blaspemie whether as he is God he do participate both natures with Christ whether he be more gentle than was Christ seeing it is not read that he called backe anie from the paines of purgatorie Whether he alone of all men cannot erre Sixe hundred such like things are disputed in great printed bookes And that by great diuines especially famous for the profession of religion These things doth Erasmus write in as many words Annotat. pag. 663. The crime of mocking religion BVt some peraduenture will saie it is onely impietie blasphemie of words Let vs therefore bring to light the wicked factes of the same papacie a few of many as it were for examples sake that euerie one may vnderstand that the popes many yéeres ago did make but a mock and scoffe of Christian religion And first of all that of Gregorie the seauenth which we will lay downe in the words of cardinall Benno The Emperour Henrie the third saith he was woont often to repaire to praier to the church of S. Marie which is in the mount Auentine But Hildebrand who being afterward made pope was called Gregorie the seauenth when as by his spies he made diligent inquirie after all his works he made the place be marked where the Emperour was woont to praie and he perswaded one by promising him money to lay great stones vpon the beames of the church secretly and that he should so order them that he might throwe them downe from aboue vpon the Emperours head as he was at praier and so beat out his braines which thing when he that was appointed to do so great wickednes did make haste to accomplish and sought to laie an huge stone vpon the beames with the weight thereof the stone drew him downe and the boorde being broken vnder the beames both the stone and the miserable man by the iust iudgement of God fell downe into the church floore and by the same stone was he quite crushed to peeces Of which fact after that the men of Rome knew and of the order therof they tied a rope to the wretches foot caused him to be drawen three daies through the streetes for the example of others But the Emperour of his woonted clemencie caused him to be buried Thus far goeth Benno Whence we vnderstande how detestable the impietie of the pope was who hauing no regard either of the place wherein the Emperour praied and which the pope professeth to be holie to himselfe nor of the time wherein he praied but seruing his blinde furie and madnesse sought the destruction of the Emperour his prince But go too let vs cite another testimonie of impietie out of the same Benno Iohn bishop of Portua saith he who was throughlie acquainted with Hildebrands secrets went vp into Saint Peters pulpit and amongst many things in the hearing of the cleargie and people he saith Hildebrand hath done some such thing for which we ought to be burned aliue speaking of the Sacrament of the Lords bodie which Hildebrand demaunding oracles from God against the Emperour threw into the fire though the cardinals his assistants did speake against it These are the goodly testimonies of the papall pietie in Gregorie the seauenth Now let vs cite another touching Syluester the seconde out of the booke of Iohn
was more than Iohn the Baptist Fol. 18. bicause Iohn Baptist was onelie a preacher of repentance Francis was both a preacher and also an ordainer of the order of Repentance He was a fore-runner of Christ Francis was a preacher and standerd-bearer of Christ wherin he surmounteth Iohn Baptist. Also Francis went before Iohn bicause he conuerted more vnto the Lord and in more places namely in the whole world Iohn preached but two yeeres and a little more but Francis preached eighteene yeeres Iohn receiued the word of repentance from the Lord Francis receiued it both from the Lord and the pope that 's more It was told by an Angel to Iohn Baptists father it was declared by the holie Ghost and the prophets what a one he should be But S. Francis was declared to his mother and the seruants in the shape of a stranger by the prophets the Lord Iesus Christ and also by an Angell S. Iohn prophesied in and without his mothers wombe S. Francis foretold with ioy in the wombe that is being prisoner at Perusius that he should bee some great man S. Iohn was the friend of the bridegroome S. Francis was like the Lord Iesus Christ. Iohn was the most singular in the world for holines Francis was the most excellent of all other with Christ for the conformitie of his marks S. Iohn was aduanced in the Seraphicall order S. Francis was placed in the verie same order in the place of Lucifer What is it to mocke Christian religion and to deride the sacred historie of S. Iohn Baptist if this be not O God thou Lord of vengeāce how long wilt thou suffer these monsters of popes to mocke thy most holie maiestie so reprochfully How long wilt thou suffer them to rage in thine holie temple But surely there is another place in that same storehouse of blasphemies almost more detestable For * he saith Francis Fol. 39. is better than the Apostles bicause they forsooke onely their ship and other things but yet not their garments which they had on their backe But S. Francis did not onely forsake all earthly things but he did also cast from him his clothes and breeches and offered himselfe being cleane both in bodie and mind to the arms of the crucified which we read not of any other Saint Wherefore he might well saie to Christ I haue forsaken all and followed thee Where be those Pharaos and the woorser champions of the Pharaos which count the iuggling casts of the magitians better than the miracles of Moses and make semblance that they take delight in these munkish monsters that they may remoue the vnskilfull people from reading the holie scripture and from studieng the same and that they may abuse their subiects as beasts And yet these things were beléeued in former ages and no maruell sith Paul foretold so plainely that Antichrist should come with the effectuall working of satan with all power and signes and lieng woonders and with all fraud of vnrighteousnes in those that perish bicause they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued Therfore God shall send vnto them the efficacie of deceit 2. Thes 2. that they may beléeue a lie that all that haue not beléeued the truth may be condemned The inuention of the religion of Dominic BUt let these things hitherto be spoken of the feined religions in the person of Francis Bernardo let vs héereafter sée somwhat of the inuentions of another frier called Dominic Wherin we must giue the first place to that wicked comparison wherin Dominic God the father of mercie pardon vs which are compelled to recite these blasphemies is matched with Christ being God For in Antonie bishop of Florence it is thus written The Lord In hist. par 3. tit 23. ti 24. Christ saith he is Lord absolutely and auctoratiuely Dominic possessiuely He had manie diuine visions he saw Christ once purposed to iudge and make an end of the world but the virgin Marie besought him that he would staie and send Dominic and Francis to preach And againe when he saw the heauen open and friers of all sorts in glorie and he saw not his Dominicans but it was told him by the sonne of God that they were vnder the garment of the virgin Marie whom he saw there and a certaine master of the order of the Minors which made a very great masterly booke of S. Dominic saith that in the said vision it might be said that Dominic did then see God in his essence as Paul when he was caught vp But it shall appeere that he was very like to Christ by the discourse of his life and works Therfore he was most fitly named Dominic being most like to the Lord Christ The Lord saith I am the light of the world the church singeth of Dominic You are the light of the world All the prophets beare witnes of the Lord of Dominic and his Act. 10. Zach. 11. order Zacharie said in the person of God I haue taken to my selfe two rods I haue called the one Decorem or beautie the other Funiculum or a little cord Beautie or comlines is the order of predicants the little cord is the order of the Minors bicause they are girt with a plaine rope Before Dominic was borne in the world there appeered the images of two painted at Venece in the church of S. Mark the one whereof was like a religious man in the apparell of the order of the predicants with a lilie in his hand The other was like vnto the Apostle Paul as he was woont to be painted ouer which was written Agios Paulus S. Paul and vnder the feete of the picture Per istum itur ad Christum by him men go to Christ vnder the other picture was written Agios Dominicus S. Dominic and vnder him Faciliùs itur per istum men go more easily by him And woonder not at this writing bicause the doctrine of Paul as of the other Apostles was a doctrine leading vnto faith The doctrine of Dominic a doctrine leading to the obseruations of Counsels and therefore men go more easily by him vnto Christ. 2. The Lord was borne vpon the bare ground but least the colde should hurt him too much he is placed in a manger by his mother the virgin When Dominic was borne being but a little one and committed to the keeping of his nurse he was often found gone out of his bed and lieng naked vpon the ground as if he did alreadie abhor the pleasures of the flesh 3. When the Lord was borne there appeered a bright star which guided the wise men vnto him insinuating that the whole world should be illuminate by him Dominic arose and vpon him when he was to be baptised his spirituall mother saw a star in his forehead foreshewing a new sunne beame of the world 4. The Lord being twelue yeere old was brought by his parents into the temple and there he remained alone being but a boy
night in Gods seruice giuing himselfe to meditation and praier he did execute a threefold discipline as it were daily with his owne hand not with a cord but with an iron chaine till the blood came one for his owne offences which were the least another for those that were in purgatorie the third for those that are conuersant in the world 19. When the Lord iournied toward Hierusalem when he saw the citie he wept ouer it and he foretold many secrets of harts and euents of things to come for which it was said in his commendation A great prophet is risen vp amongst vs. When Dominic drew neere to cities beholding in mind he wept bitterly for their sinnes and he reuealed manie hid and secret things as a true prophet as the death of the king of the Aragons in battell the conuersion of the heretike Adiu that was to come whom he therfore commanded to be saued from burning Thus far goeth Antoninus whereby the Councellers of the most mightie king of France may iudge whether the most part of Christendome haue iustly or vniustly reiected these inuentions of religion brought in by the popes séeing they durst so wickedly and heinously set Dominic the munke to be worshipped in the church of God for an idoll and to match him with Christ being God our sauior For we must not giue eare to him that shall saie that these are onelie munkish toies which graue and learned men do loath For that which we said before touching the Franciscane bables of the same sort do we saie in this place of the Dominicans séeing they are receiued for diuine oracles in the church of Rome that all Christians must either worship them or else they must looke for such punishments as are appointed for heretiks by this gallowes cowled and cord bearing frier But now let vs heare somwhat else It séemeth that nothing can be added to this impietie But yet let vs trie what can be done For the same Antoninus in the chapter following where he compareth the miracles of Christ and Dominic togither saith thus Dominic raised Pag. 187. three from death in the citie of Rome the sonne of the widow which being knowne to the pope he would haue published it but Dominic for humilitie did vtterly refuse it The carpenter that was hired by his brethren and crushed in peeces by a wall that fell vpon him and Neapoleon the cardinall of the new ditch his nephew which fell from an horse and was all rent in peeces I am fully perswaded that the Lord did also raise others bicause he saith in the plurall number The dead shall rise againe namely Mat. 11. by me whereas yet he had onely raised the ruler of the synagogues daughter according to the Gospels So likewise we find that S. Dominic did raise other that were dead though not so notorious For what shall we thinke of those fortie strāgers which were in a ship in the great riuer beside Tholosa who after they had stood long time vnder the water after that the ship was drowned by the holie praier of S. Dominic they came out of the water safe and sound what shall we thinke but that either they were restored to life or else they were preserued in the water like fishes 2. God did twise fil the hungrie with bread that he multiplied and he turned water into wine Dominic did twise procure bread for his brethren frō God at Rome and at Bononia which the Angels brought from the heauenly bread wherfore it was most sweet He made an emptie caske full of wine and another time he turned water into sweete wine 3. Christ did perfectly heale Simons mother in law that was sicke of a feuer and also he healed many sicke folks Dominic did thoroughly cure a woman of a quartan ague 4. Diuels came out of manie crieng and saieng Bicause thou art the sone of God Dominic freed many that were vexed of diuels in soule and bodie 5. Christ being made immortall entred in twise to the disciples when the gates were shut but Dominic being as yet mortall which is more miraculous entred into the church by night the doores being shut least he should awake his brethren 6. The Lord after he departed out of this world drew infinite men to the way of truth though Dominic had reclamed thousands of heretiks from errors yet many mo after his departure O woonderfull hope which thou hast giuen singeth the church of S. Dominic to those that weepe to thee in the hower of death whiles that thou hast promised that thou wilt profit the brethren after death 7. And to come to an end The Lord saith Power is giuen me in heauen and earth This power was not a little imparted to Dominic of things in heauen in earth and in hel For he had the holie Angels to wait vpon him Moreouer the very Angels comming to the brethren in mans shape gaue them bread to eate If we speake of the elements the fire forgat his force when as the booke of his doctrine being cast thrise into the fire came out thrise vnhurt when the bookes of the heretiks his aduersaries were suddenly consumed The raine comming downe out of the aire in great abundance doth obey the signe of the crosse when as not so much as one drop did touch him as he iournied though all that countrie were ouerflowen with that shower The water of the riuer into which his bookes fell as he passed ouer it could not wet them but being drawen out in stead of fish by fishers vnhurt and dry as if they had been in a cofer after a few daies they were restored to him againe The earth also which containeth metals did not denie him necessarie monie For when as hauing passed ouer a certaine riuer in a boat the ferrie man did earnestly aske his boat hire of S. Dominic and he forasmuch as he was poore did auouch that he had no monie and the ferrie man held him fast by the cloke asking his monie S. Dominic hauing praied and looking toward the ground saw the monie wherof he stood in need lieng there which he gaue him and so set himselfe at libertie but also which is more when a certaine clerke could not liue chaste hauing kissed the hand of S. Dominic as he returned from masse with a sweete sauor so great a habit of virginitie was diffused through his mind that afterward he could easily containe himselfe What shall I speake of the infernall spirits Surely the diuels did tremble at his becke neither were they able to refuse his power Which appeereth when he led him with him as he appeered in the shape of a frier through the assemblies of the conuent namely of the Dormitall quire fratry locutorie and afterward of the chapter-house and he asked him of euery place what he gained there with the friers All which he was enforced to declare Thus writeth Antoninus By which we leaue it to the kings Counsellers to be iudged whether this be
signification by which signification is vnderstood Christ the rocke Peter the Church Thus saith Augustine which thing he repeateth in his book against Iud. paga And also in the tenth tract vpon Iohn and of the word of the Lord ser 20. Concerning which opinion Cyrillus saith He called the rocke nothing In dial de trinitate lib. 4. else but by agnomination the vnshaken and most firme faith of the disciple wherein the Church of Christ is grounded And this verie In epist. ad Eph. ca. 2. same thing doth Ambrose * In hom in Mat. 55. Chrysostom * in c. quodcunque 24. q. 1 and also the Canonists * confirm They alledge this same saieng of Augustine Bicause in the person of Peter the Church hirselfe receiued the keies Which thing is inculcate out of Hierom * in c. omnibus ead q. But Bernard inueighing bitterly against that arrogancie of the popes breaketh out at length into these words And in times past truly In epist. 230. you did rule as Lords ouer the Clergie contrarie to the Apostle Peter yea and ye ruled as lords ouer the faith of the whole world contrarie to his fellow Apostle Paule But now you haue added some new thing vsurping also ouer religion it selfe what remaineth but that you proceed to rule as lords euen ouer the holie Angels themselues And Gregorie surnamed the Great writeth thus to Mauritius Epist 30. li. 16. the emperour I say boldlie that whosoeuer he be that calleth himself the vniuersal priest or desireth to be so called doth in his pride go before Antichrist bicause in waxing proud he setteth himselfe before the rest The like wherof we may sée in many places in the Lib. 6. epi. 188. epi. 194. also lib. 7. epist 3. 74. 79. 80. same writer and vnto the said Mauritius And thus much concerning the former part of the Dilemma Now let vs sée touching the other that is the donation of Constantine Though séeing it may séem that we shall haue a fitter place to handle the same when we come to intreat of the crime of forgerie it be fitter for vs at this time in this one word to passe ouer al that disputation namely that all that instrument of the donation which the pope bringeth forth is false feigned and forged and that it came out of the same shop out of which we shewed before the volume of the Conformities of Francis came wherof bicause we shall in their place bring to light 25. most sure arguments we will now make an ende to this second crime Onelie in stéede of a conclusion we will propounde a question of this Franciscane frier of ours which will not easily be answered as I thinke Our Sixtus is pope and also a Franciscane inasmuch as he is pope he hath as we haue shewed before not onely chiefe dignitie vpon earth but also great in heauen purgatorie and hell inasmuch as he is a Franciscane no doubt according to his dutie towarde his patron he granteth that S. Francis deserueth dignitie aboue the Cherubins We say not amongst the Cherubins saith Antoninus of Florence but aboue the Cherubins and it is certaine according to the doctors that the Seraphins are aboue the Cherubins Thus writeth Antoninus Therfore the question is when this pope departing Lib. hist. 3. tit 23. ca. 1. this life shall be receiued by S. Francis whether he shall be placed aboue the Cherubins or the Seraphins For we haue shewed that the Dominicane friers onlie are placed vnder the mantle of the blessed virgin It causeth great doubtfulnes bicause as Augustine Steuchus writeth the pope is God as the Canonists dispute halfe a God But Francis as we saide before out of the testimonie of the deuill is nothing but a stout frier On the other side this our frier calleth Francis the Typical Iesus as if one should saie Another Iesus or one that is made like to the former Iesus If we should place Francis aboue the pope we should place him aboue his God or demie God which were most absurd If we should giue him a place below the pope neuerthelesse we should absurdlie make another Iesus subiect to the pope and peraduenture the Iesuites could not abide that for the high dignitie of their name What shall we saie then Bartolus was woont in hard questions to admonish his hearers to bethinke themselues We in the meane season without any preiudice of the truth will leaue to this pope that same place which Gregorie the Great giueth him which what maner one it is we shall set downe shortly after where we shall make mention of Lucifers comming to hell Of the crime of corrupt Religion HItherto haue we spoken briefely of the second crime of the papacie according to our method and order set downe It followeth that we intreat of the crime of corrupt religion For when as the pope tooke vpon him that chiefe lordship ouer Christian religion he then determined as it were by his own right to innouate new trim and transforme it at his pleasure Whereof this is the first testimonie The holie Scripture teacheth vs that there is one onely forme of religion and worshipping of God the same which is set downe in writing in the writings of the Prophets Apostles so that it is not lawfull to adde any thing thereto or to take any thing there fro no not for an Angell in heauen Therefore Christ saith In vaine do they worship me teaching doctrines which Iohn 14. 2. Tim. 3. Matth. 15. are the commandements of men And Ier. 7. Which I neuer commanded neither ascended they into mine hart Therefore Irenaeus bishop of Lyons an authour most ancient for he wrot about the yéere of Christ 198. After that saith he our Lord rose from the dead and the Apostles had the holie Ghost giuen them after that power came vpon them from aboue they were filled with all things and they had perfect knowledge of saluation Also Cha. 4. We must not seeke the truth at others seeing the Apostles haue most fully bestowed all things in the church which belong to the truth that euery one that will may take of the same drinke of life Also Athanasius in the beginning of his second booke against the Gentils The holie scripture saith he and inspired by God is alone abundantly sufficient to all instruction of the truth Thus saith he But the pope setteth downe on the contrarie that The discipline of the Church besides holie scripture so saith he in the Councell of Trent is contained in the traditions of the elders Triden concil session 4. cap. 1. which being deliuered as it were by hands came vnto vs also as being deliuered either by word of mouth by Christ or else by the holie Ghost Now let vs sée what maner traditions being deliuered to vs by our ancetors as it were from hand to hand are to be obserued And first of all let vs cite that The pope vseth vpon
a certaine and set day to make certaine little images like to a lamb of white wax tempered with oile He affirmeth that these if they be hoong about the neck do in like sort purge mens sinnes euen as the blood of Christ doth purge them he affirmeth that they driue away lightening that they helpe women in childbirth and that they saue men from burning and shipwrack What more wicked thing can be spoken or thought vpon But these are called the traditions of the elders deliuered to this pope by his predecessors as from hand to hand For in the booke of the popes Ceremonies it is written thus Balme and pure waxe with holie oile Togither mixt a lambe do make 1. Sect 7. Which gift of price and vertue great To the beloued I betake As borne of fountaine and adiured By sacred words Whose power is great For flashing lightnings it depels And euery euill away doth beat It breaketh sinne like Christs owne blood It vexeth it It doth preserue Women with childe and infant saues It giues those gifts that do deserue The fires force it will destroy And faire doth saue from flouds annoy Let this then be the first tradition of the popes which is deliuered to vs with like the same authoritie as the holie scripture There followeth another The holie scripture teacheth vs that the sacrament of baptism is the sprinkling of the blood of Christ Iesus for the remission of our sins and the Acts. 22. Rom. 6. 1. Cor. 6. 15. imputation of his righteousnes But the popes traditions doe grant baptisme to bels and the priests of the papacie do abuse so great a sacrament euery where so wickedly and vngodlily that the emperor Maximilian the first wrote a complaint concerning that matter which is extant among his grauamina or burdenings in these words Also the suffragans haue inuented that they alone and none other priest should baptise bels That done the simpler sort do beleeue the suffragans affirming the same that such bels thus baptised do driue away diuels and tempests Wherefore they haue sometimes an infinite companie of God-fathers and especially those that are of wealth are intreated In the time of which baptising they touch the rope wherwith the bell is tied and then the suffragan he singeth first as they vse to do at the baptising of infants and then they altogither make answer and do double the name of the bell and they put a new garment vpon it as they vse to do to Christians And shortly after Therefore a thing so wicked and vnlawfull ought to be abolished Maximilian saith excellently and cléerly But as the sow in wallowing so are the popes delighted in this filth and corruption And concerning this most filthy customary pollution of the In tract de super num 3. nu 9. num 14. sacrament let vs read Martin de Arles Go to now let vs prosecute other corruptions of religion The scripture teacheth vs that there is but one mediator of God and 1. Tim. 2. 1. Ioh. 2. Rom. 8. Heb. 7. Amb. in epist. ad Heb. men Iesus Christ * And therefore Ambrose saith They are woont to vse a miserable excuse saieng that by iust men we may go vnto God as by earles vnto the king Go to now is any man so mad and so vnmindfull of his safetie that he will attribute the maiestie of the king to an earle seeing that if any be found but euen to talke of this matter they may by good right be condemned as guiltie of treason And these men will not thinke those to be guiltie that giue the honor of the name of God to a creature and forsaking the Lord do worship their fellow seruants as if they could do God any greater seruice For therefore do men go to a king by tribunes and earles bicause surely the king is a man and he knoweth not to whom he ought to commit the cōmon-welth But to please and intreat God who is ignorant of nothing for he knoweth all mens merits we need no spokes-man but a deuout mind For wheresoeuer such a one shall speake he will answer nothing at all This saith Ambrose What How religiously doth the papacie kéepe this ordinance of the holie scripture and the old Church It denieth that there did euer any saint depart this life which was receiued into the place of the blessed which doth not execute the office of a mediator and intercessor Only so Nay whatsoeuer bawds Francisses Dominiks and other deceiuers and coseners they would canonize among the saints they brought vs in the same for mediators and spokesmen The scripture teacheth vs that there be onely two places for soules of the dead Iohn 5. Matth. 25. after this life heauen for the blessed hell for the cursed Therfore Augustine saith * Lib. hypognost The faith of the catholiks by the authoritie of God beleeueth the first place to be the kingdome of heauen the second hell where euerie reuolt and stranger from the faith of Christ is punished Of any third we are altogither ignorant neither do we find in the holy scripture that there is any such Thus writeth he But the papacie feigneth that there is a third place where the soules of certaine that are guiltie of light and as they terme them of veniall sinnes are purged before they go vp into heauen which place for this cause they call the fire of purgatorie as if ouer and besides the blood of Christ that was shed for our sinnes to purge vs we néed either those pictures of lambs or this supposed fire whereas notwithstanding the scripture doth euidently teach vs that our soules are purged by the onely blood of Christ and that their blots are washed away by this medicine alone 1. Ioh. 1. His blood purgeth vs from al sin And Mat. 26. My blood shall be shed for many for the remission of sinnes Finally these are the words of the Tridentine Councell that There is a purgatorie Sess 25. and that the soules that are there kept are holpen by the praiers of the faithfull and especially by that acceptable sacrifice of the altar We sée how great corruptions the papacie hath brought into Christian religion Item sess 6. ca. 30. Sess 22. ch 2. c. 3. But besides these innumerable other may be reckoned vp The scripture teacheth vs that there be onely two sacraments namely baptisme and the supper the former whereof was instituted Matt. 28. Mark 16. and the latter Matth. 26. Mark 14. Luc. 22. and 1. Corin. 11. 23. Therefore Augustine saith Christ knit togither Ep. 218. ad Ianuar the societie of the new people with sacraments in number fewest in obseruation easiest in signification most excellent as baptisme consecrate to the Trinitie and the communicating of the bodie and blood of Christ. Also The Lord and the apostolike doctrine gaue but a Lib. de doctr Christ. ca. 9. few signes as is the sacrament of baptisme and the celebration of the bodie
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
serue God is to raigne in steed of S. Peter and of our lord pope Gregorie and after him insteed of his successors in the apostolike sea I commit my selfe to thine hands and in committing my self I establish this fidelitie with an oth I say I Demetrius which am also called Suinumir by the grace of God and the gift of the apostolike sea being from this day and heretofore king shall be faithfull to S. Peter and my L. pope Gregorie and his successors that enter canonically As for the kingdome L. Gebizo that is giuen me by thy hand I shall faithfully keepe it and I shall not take away the same and the right thereof from the apostolike sea by anie meanes or policie at any time I shall honorablie receiue and honestly handle send back my L. Gregorie the pope and his successours and ambassadours if they come into my dominion and I shall humble serue them what seruice soeuer they shall appoint vnto me These things writeth Steuchus Whereby we may know what eloquent and learned scribes the popes vse to haue which cannot onely set downe in writing the déedes and famous factes of Francis and Dominic but also write the instruments and witnessed briefes of inuested feudataries Of the kingdome of Denmarke STeuchus in the same 2. booke * The Pag. 189. kingdome of Denmarke saith he doth properlie belong vnto and is the tribute of the holie church of Rome which thing the true monuments of the popes do witnes Alexander the holie bishop the holie L. to his beloued sonne Sueuis king of Denmarke sendeth greeting and the apostolike blessing We admonish your wisedome that you prouide to send to vs and our successours the tribute of your kingdome which your predecessours were woont to paie to the church of the apostle yet so that it be not laide as an oblation vpon the altar but that it be offered aswell to vs as to our successours presentiallie that it may be more certainlie approoued Of the kingdome of France THere is extant in Nicolas Gillius a french man and a Chronicle writer an excellent epistle of pope Boniface the 8 which we will set downe Boniface the seruant of the seruants of God to Philip the french king Feare God and keepe his commandements We will haue you know that in spirituall things and temporall things you are subiect to vs there appertaineth to you no bestowing of benefices and prebends and if you haue the keeping of anie that are void reserue the profit therof for the successors and if you haue bestowed anie we decree that the gift thereof is voide we count those fooles that beleeue otherwise Geuen at Laterane 4. of the Nones of December in the 6. yeere of our popedome This instrument of pope Boniface is without doubt set downe in his register according to the custome by the kéepers of the librarie but let vs heare what the other partie answereth For we shall know by the kings answer what credence and authoritie we ought to giue to these registers of the popes Philip by the grace of God king of France to Boniface that carrieth himself for the chief bishop sendeth smal greeting or none at all Let your great follie know that in temporal things we are subiect to none that the bestowing of any churches or prebends that are vacant doth belong vnto vs by our princely right and to reape the fruits thereof against all possessours to maintaine our selfe profitablie and as for those that thinke otherwise wee count them doltes and mad men These things are cited out of the Britaine Chronicles of Armorica the 4. booke ch 14. and out of Nicolas Gillius in the french Chronicles whereby we may easilie coniect that howsoeuer we grant that these furious letters aforesaid were sent vnto kings by the popes yet did they sharpelie and vehemently represse their boldnes and rashnes And yet the same Steuchus the master of the popes librarie as we haue saide trusting to his register durst in the same book of his * write thus Pag. 198. and cause it to be printed at Lyons Boniface the 7. against Philip the king of France bicause hee did exalt himselfe against the Church when the pope had vnfolded to him the old monuments whereby he taught that France was subiect to the church of Rome both in holie and prophane things for which it was necessarie that he should reuerence and worship the pope as Lord of his kingdom when he despised him he did excommunicate him Of the empire of Germanie THe same Steuchus writeth nothing touching this empire by reason of the great power of Charles the fift whom Steuchus was afraide to offend But we haue else where verie manie testimonies First in the canonists * wherin is contained c. tibi Domino dist 63. the oth of the emperor Otho which he gaue to the pope Which pope Clement affirmeth to be the oth of alleageance in c. de iureiur in Clem. which vassals do giue to their patrones when they receiue a fée Whence the Canonists do stoutly dispute and reason that the emperor is the popes vassall and that he holdeth of him his empire by the name of a fée but also pope Innocentius the 3. writeth * that the right to choose the emperor in c. venerabilem extra de elect c. 2. de re iud in 6. in c. 1. ext Ne sed vacan came vnto the princes of Germanie from the apostolike sea And * that the emperor may be deposed by the pope And * that the pope when the empire is void is emperor And héerupon rose that boldnes of pope Innocentius the second that hée painted in the Laterane church at Rome the emperor Lotharius as a vassall lieng prostrate at his féete and receiuing the imperiall crown at his hands and did write these verses vnder the same picture Rex venit ante fores iurans prius vrbis honores Pòst homo fit papae sumit quo dante coronam The king before the doores did come The cities honors first he sweares That done the popes man he is made Of whom he takes the crowne he weares The memoriall whereof is extant in the chronicles of Hirsaug in the life of the abbat Hartuing in Radeuic * And when as lib. 1. num 9. 10. the same day the emperor Friderike had reasoned with the legates of pope Adrian Radeuic writeth that they answered thus Of whom thē hath he the empire if not from our Lord the pope Moreouer there is extant in Iohn Auentine * an epistle of pope Adrian vnto Lib. 6. pa. 636. the archbishops of Treuirs Moguntine and Colen written thus The Romane empire was translated from the Grecians vnto the Almaines so that the king of the Almaines was not called emperor before he was crowned by the Apostle Before the consecration he was king after the consecration emperor From whence then hath he his empire but from vs By the election of his princes he hath the name
Francis the first that if any would imbrace the reformed religion they might be burnt aliue hauing their toongs cut out and hauing fire put vnder them Among the king of France his constitutions there be extant the edicts of that king published in the yéere 1534. and also in the fortieth and againe in the 42. by the authoritie whereof the Senators of the Parleament shed so much blood and yet with so great godlines and constancie of the martyrs that it séemeth that the posteritie will scarce beléeue it What these hellish fiends gained by this crueltie it is woorth the knowing by the testimonie of him thā whom no more plentifull witnes can be brought foorth in this kind That is king Henrie the second the father of these latter kings a prince as most men may remember most famous both at home and in war For his edict written at Castrobriant in the moneth of Iune 1551. is extant the words wherof are these All men might see before this with what studie and with how great contention our father whom God absolue king Francis being a most Christian king and most catholike endeuoured greatly during all his life time to roote out heresies which budded out in his realme against our holie faith and catholike religion and how manie lawes and constitutions the same king with the same mind and purpose did publish as the varietie and necessitie of times did require Notwithstanding that so great studie and indeuour did no great good For that disease was so spred through al the most noble families of our realm that it did infect like a certaine contagion the families of all sorts and orders Thus saith he in his edict which containeth six and fortie articles being all of them written most bitterly and sharply to stop the course of that religion Moreouer shortly after that is in the yéere 1547. there was another edict published by the same king wherin by name he professeth in manie words and doth plainly denounce that he hath omitted no labour no indeuor no diligence in suppressing that religion Onely so Nay surely saith he the more carefully and painfully we labored to do this so much the more that doctrine gat the vpper hand Surely we may coniecture what was his indeuor and trauell euen by that that all men know that there died of that miserable and bitter kind of punishment a great number of all sorts of men There succéeded these kings to wit the grandfather and father king Francis the second his edicts to wit sixe in number were most sharpe and vehement besides innumerable broad seales and letters patents which he sent continually through all parts of his kingdome with so great heate of mind and stomach that aboue thrée hundred men were in lesse than thrée moneths space tormented scortched burnt and as it was commonly written in the decrées of the senate brought into ashes by the decrées especially of the senate of Paris and Tholosa This so great abundance of blood that was shed might peraduenture satisfie euen the most bloodie tyrants such as the report goeth Cyclops Busiris Siron Phalaris Tython Gyges were in times past But so great crueltie cannot satisfie the pope of Rome whom we may rightly tearme a rebell against mankind It is woorth the hearing what good he did For there is extant a decrée of the same king Francis the second published at Ambosia in the moneth of March anno 1559 in these words which we would haue the kings Counsellers to read very attentiuely and to consider of what weight it is We to the end we might answere and satisfie our princely office were inforced to vse diuers kinds of punishments and paines as the state of things and times did require But by the instruments of criminall causes it is knowen and reuealed that a great number of men women ages kinds and of all orders were present at vnlawful and priuy sermons suppers baptizings administred by those for whom it was not lawfull to do that But and if euerie one of these should be put to torture as the rigor of our authoritie and lawes doth require there should woonderfull much blood be shed of men women virgins yong men of florishing age whereof some being induced and suborned other some being persuaded through a certaine simplicitie and ignorance other some inticed rather with a certain curiositie than of malice haue fallen into such errors and discommodities Which things if it should come to passe we should be greatly and continually sorie neither should that well agree either with our age or nature both which do inuite vs to vse clemencie gentlenes and mercie in this kinde Therefore we will haue all men know that when this whole matter was in due time handled by our Counsellers in our presence we are not determined to leaue this first yeere of our reigne famous to our posteritie as cruel bloodie and full of the murders of our silly subiects though they had greatly deserued this yea after the example of our heauenly father we are determined to spare the blood of our people and to bring backe our subiects to the way of saluation and to preserue their life hoping that through the Lords mercie it will come to passe that we shall do more good by the way of gentlenes and clemencie than by the rigor of punishments Therefore according to the opinion of our foresaid Counsellers we say appoint ordain that heerafter our subiects be not molested for the cause of crimes that are past which concern faith religion by our iudges of what sort and condition soeuer they be neither in iudgement nor without iudgement Moreouer we declare that we grant to our subiects a general pardon remission absolution for such crimes as concerne faith religion And shortly after By the authority of the king who was chiefe in this counsel according to the sentēce of the lords cardinals of Bourbon of Lorraine of Chastillon the dukes of Montpensier of Guise of Niuernois and of Aumale Thus far goeth Francis the second plainly as it appéereth declaring and testifieng that the tortures and punishments of former times did nothing at all auaile to extinguish this religion What did then the fiends and enimies of mankinde the popes of Rome What did they So soone as they perceiued that some of the nobles of that realme and furthermore that some of the princes of the blood roiall had tasted of that religion and had reiected the deceits of Bernardo and Dominick so soone as they foresaw that France would by little and little winde hir selfe out of the bondage of the papacie into Christian libertie finally so soone as they saw that so fat a praie would be taken out of their iawes they began to cast new firebrands of ciuill war throughout all parts of France That done when this would not serue they appointed furious massacres and butcheries to the euerlasting discredite of the name of France last of all when they perceiued that euen this way they
against it must be punished as an heretike for the popes vse these selfe same words in their buls * Wherefore this saith Lib. conformit fol. 234. col 3. he must be holden most firmely as true and he that holdeth the contrarie must be despised of all men as an heretike In like sort Anthonie of Florence writeth thus The church hath Hist. part 3. c. 1. §. 3. vndoubtedly approoued and declared that there be a solemne feast kept for this that the Lord Iesus who was crucified appeered to Francis as he praied and was transformed like to a Zeraphin that is hauing six wings and that he imprinted in his hands and side the signes of his passion wherein he felt great paine Let the most excellent and most wise Counsellers of the French king iudge now whether that be a true definition of an heretike that he that shall not beléeue those most filthie inuentions touching Dominic and Bernardo allowed by the authority of the church of Rome shal be counted and taken for an heretike and thrust from the felowship of the church If they do not thinke that that is an equall decrée of the papacie of Rome then let them remember that rule wherein it is taught that rash and light accusers are not onely condemned of false accusing and so noted with infamie but also they are condemned to abide like punishment which the other should haue suffered whom they accused * and therefore l. vlt. C. de accus that pope Sixtus the fift who hath falsly accused the king of Nauarre and prince of Condie of heresie ought flatly to be taken for a schismatike and heretike But let vs now a little more attentiuely consider to whom that wicked crime and name of heretiks doth properly belong Forsomuch as we can gather by the authoritie of holy scripture and of the ancient doctors of the Church he onely is to be counted an heretike which stubbornly holdeth and seditiously soweth doctrine that is contrarie to the rule of faith that is the Christian Créed notwithstanding he hath béen lawfully admonished and conuict For thus doth Augustine define him * Those saith De ciuita Dei 18. c. 51. he that in the Church of Christ do tast of any sicke or corrupt thing if being rebuked that they may sauour of that which is sound and right they resist stubbornly and they will not amend their pestiferous and deadly opinions but persist to defend them are made heretiks and going out adoores they are counted in the number of exercising enimies And now as touching the créede of Christians which Tertullian calleth the rule of faith there is this notable testimony of the same Tertullian extant in his booke of Prescriptions of heretiks It is the rule of faith saith he wherein it is beleeued that there is one only God note this periphrasis of the Christian créed and none other besides the creator of the world who hath brought foorth all things out of nothing by his word P. That that word was called his son that he appeered diuersly to the patriarks that he was alwaies heard of the prophets last of al that he was brought into the virgin Marie by the spirit and power of God his father that he was made flesh in hir womb and that Iesus Christ came out of hir being borne that thencefoorth he preached the new law and the new promise of the kingdome of heauen that he wrought miracles that being fastened to the crosse he rose againe the third day that being taken vp into the heauens he sitteth at the right hand of the father that he sent the power of the holy Ghost to be his vicegerent to gouerne the beleeuers that he shall come with glorie to take the saints into the fruit of eternal life and of the heauenly promises and to adiudge the profane to euerlasting fire both parts being raised againe with restoring of the flesh This rule instituted by Christ hath amongst vs no questions saue onely such as heresies cause and such as make heretiks Thus writeth Tertullian Whereby we vnderstand that those are by him defined to be heretiks which bring in into the Church a doctrine contrarie to the Christian créed which is consonant and agréeable to that commandement of the apostle Hee that bringeth you another Gospell than that which we haue brought let him be accursed Therefore Tertullian in another place of the same booke saith Whence came strangers and heretiks enimies to the apostles saue onely from diuersitie of doctrine which euerie one hath either broched or receiued of his owne head against the apostles Therefore we must make account that the corruption both of the scriptures and expositions is there where there is found diuersitie of doctrine Also in another place Let heretiks bring to light the beginnings of their churches let them turne ouer the order of their bishops so descending from the beginning by successions that first of all the same bishop had some one of the apostles or apostolike men Who notwithstanding continued with the apostles for his author and predecessor Tertullian doth in plaine words call those apostolike men neither doth he suffer any other to be called by this name saue onely those that haue agréed with the doctrine of the apostles and haue continued therein so that it may easily be vnderstood that apostolike men must not be estéemed by the sea and place but by succession and perpetuitie of doctrine Therefore he saith in another place The doctrine of heretiks being compared with the apostolik doctrin shall by the diuersitie and contrarietie thereof pronounce that it neither hath any apostle for the author thereof nor apostolike man for as the apostles had not taught things that were diuers among themselues so the apostolike men had not published things that were contrarie to the apostles saue onely those that fell away from the apostles and preached otherwise Lo how manifestly Tertullian sheweth that those ought properly to be called heretiks which bring in a doctrine contrarie to the Christians créed though they call themselues apostolike men forasmuch saith he as they be fallen away from the apostles and as he said a little before haue inuented of their owne head that is their owne wit and inuention somwhat besides holie scripture Furthermore we must marke that Tertullian doth not properly chiefly call those apostolike men which succéeded Peter but generally which succéeded any of al his fellow apostles and that not precisely that it ought to be referred to some certaine place and citie but iointly which succéeded the apostles in deliuering the doctrine of Christ by hand Whereby appéereth the impudencie of the popes who did not onely properly restraine the name of apostolike vnto the bishop of Rome but also they gaue the same to foolish things as the apostolike sea the apostolike legate the apostolike messenger the apostolike chancerie apostolike penance the apostolike notarie the apostolike treasurie the apostolike priuilege apostolike prouision the apostolike bul so that