THE MYSTERIE OF INIQVITIE That is to say The Historie of the Papacie Declaring by what degrees it is now mounted to this height and what Oppositions the better sort from time to time haue made against it Where is also defended the right of Emperours Kings and Christian Princes against the assertions of the Cardinals Bellarmine and Baronius By PHILIP MORNEY Knight Lord du Plessis c. Englished by SAMSON LENNARD Falleris aeternam qui suspicis ebrius Arcem Subruta succensis mox corruet ima tigillis LONDON Printed by Adam Jslip Anno Dom. 1612. TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTIE PRINCE HENRIE Prince of Wales Sonne and Heire apparent to our Soueraigne Lord the King IF the Lord du Plessis most high and mightie Prince hauing finished this his worke out of that reuerend and honourable conceit hee had of your Fathers greatnesse that vnfained loue which true religion wrought in his heart and that hope he had of his future endeuors to beat downe Antichrist thought it a sinne though a stranger to thinke of any other Patron but himselfe to whom hee might dedicate these his labours much more I his naturall subiect linked vnto your Highnesse his naturall sonne with the same bond rapt with the same admiration fed with the same hope must say hauing finished these my labours Cui dicâre debeam ambigere nefas For the same reasons that moued him must likewise encorage me your greatnesse must encourage because the same being a Princelie branch sprung from that Royall stocke your religion must encourage because the same which your worthie father and all the Fathers of the Primitiue Church haue made profession of your hopefull endeuours must encourage because the same for what he conceiues of your Princelie father the whole world expects should be performed if not by his by your hand His pen hath made way for your sword and his peace if God giue long life may farther your warres Glorious be his peace and your warres and Gods glorie the end of both His Highnesse can best iudge what is fitting we can but wish and if hee haue begged at Gods hands with Hezekiah That there may be peace in his daies we all say Amen and with one voyce we all crie out Let there be peace vpon Israel onely we wish he may neuer haue reason to say as Dauid did I seeke peace and when I speake thereof they are bent to warre they intend mischiefe And therefore renowmed Prince leauing your royall father to Gods peace and his owne hearts desire giue me leaue though altogether vnworthie in a matter of such moment to aduise yet to wish with du Plessis that I may liue to march ouer the Alpes and to trayle a pike before the walls of Rome vnder your Highnesse Standard It was my first profession oh that it might be my last The cause is Gods the enterprise glorious O that God would be pleased as he hath giuen you a heart so to giue power to put it in execution Jn the meane time whilest our hopes are in the bud let me humbly beseech your Highnesse till my sword may doe you seruice to accept of the poore endeuours of my vnskilfull penne and as it hath pleased your Highnesse not long since graciously to protect my sorie labours bestowed vpon Charron his three bookes of Wisedome so now to pardon my boldnesse in vndertaking a worke so farre vnbefitting my strength and to protect my infirmities The God of heauen euer blesse your Highnesse and euer defend you from Antichrist and his bloudie designements that you may liue and liue long euen in perniciem to the ruine of him and all his Antichristian rabble Amen Amen To your Highnesse most humbly deuoted SAMSON LENNARD TO THE RIGHT REVErend Fathers in God GEORGE Archbishop of Canturburie and Metropolitan of England and IOHN Bishop of London RIght Reuerend and my verie good Lords I am bold out of that duetie I owe to two so great Prelats and pillars of this our Church of England to present vnto your learned and judicious censures my vnlearned and simple labours bestowed vpon a worke worthie the reading in it selfe howsoeuer by my vnskilfull pen it may be disfigured I confesse I was vnfitting amongst a thousand to vndertake a worke of such consequence and yet better I as I thought than none being a Mysterie fit to be layd open to as many as can read it in their mother tongue My good Lords pardon such faults as either by too much speed or too little skill or otherwise haue slipt my pen There is nothing past that may not be amended in a second edition if your Grace shall be pleased to giue the encouragement The God of heauen as he hath multiplied his gifts and graces vpon you fit for so high a calling euen in the highest measure so euer assist you with his holie spirit in that great worke you haue vndertaken to his glorie and the good of his Church Your Graces and Lordships in all dutie to be commaunded SAMSON LENNARD TO THE READER GEntle Reader I haue once againe aduentured my selfe vpon your gentle censures with this onely request That though perhaps a curious eye may find faults ynow yea sometimes where there are none you would be pleased to doe mee this fauour that if at any time you shall find mee to disagree sometimes from the Latine copie sometime from the French not to condemne me without the examination of both because in this translation I haue followed both the one and the other as occasion was offered and as I found them agreeing in one and the same sence This is all I request and so much the rather because I know the most vnskilfull is more readie to iudge than he that can iudge iudiciously S. L. TO THE FRIENDS AND FOLlowers of the Church of Rome LEt me once againe my brethren and friends speake vnto you and though perhaps I shall seeme to importune you ouer much yet it is with the same importunitie which the Apostle commends to his disciple 2. Tim. 4. v. 2. Be instant in season and out of season yea with that wholesome and opportune importunitie wherewith we pluck those that are neerest and deerest vnto vs euen by the haires of the head out of the furious rage of fire and water wherewith we pinch and prick those euen till they bleed that are dying of a Lethargie What shall I then say vnto you To some that are floating or rather fleeting betwixt many opinions and to others that haue alreadie stept ouer the threshold gotten one foot out of Babylon the huge height and greatnesse of the Popedome like a scar-crow is obtruded She is old indeed and by how much the more strucken in yeares in so much that she lyes groueling vpon her bellie by so much the more stupendiou◠Whereas contrariwise the reformed Church being little and of small continuance either by the noueltie thereof or the pouertie is contemptible And here that common crie of the Iewes
Pope the people refused to communicat with them and the other Bishops would not receiue them 21. PROGRESSION That Iohn the fourth Bishop of Constantinople made meanes to be called the Vniuersall Bishop AFter Pelagius the second succeeded Gregorie surnamed the Great An. 590. about the yeare 590 at which time Iohn the fourth Bishop of Constantinople stood stiffely in the maintenance of his vsurped title God in his wonderfull prouidence hauing so ordained that this question should be now argued and debated to the full to the end that the Popes of ensuing ages might be condemned out of the mouth of their predecessors and especially of this Gregorie so eminent and renowmed a man among them Now this Iohn was borne out by the Emperour Maurice who made Constantinople the ordinarie place of his abiding and sought by this meanes to win the greater credit and authoritie to that Citie and therefore wrot his letters to Gregorie commaunding him to maintaine peace and to joyne in Communion with Iohn but Gregorie vnder a colour of humilitie sought to enlarge the bounds of his owne jurisdiction the most that possibly he could as we shall see hereafter OPPOSITION Gregor li. 4. ep â—4 Gregorie much offended with those letters wrote presently both to the Emperour Maurice himselfe and to Constantia the Empresse To the Empresse that Maurice indeed had done like a godlie and religious Prince in commaunding the obseruance of such Christian duties to men of the Church But farre be it saith he that your time should be thus defiled by the exaltation of one man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alluding manifestly to him which is said to be exalted or lifted vp in the second Epistle to the Thessalonians cap. 2. neither may it euer be said that you gaue way to this crooked name of Vniuersall And againe It is an insufferable thing that he should seeke to be called the Sole Bishop By which it appeareth that to be called Vniuersall Bishop and Sole Bishop was all one in his construction And he addeth farther By this arrogancie and pride saith he what else is portended but that the time of Antichrist is now at hand in that he imitateth him Lucifer who making light of that happinesse which he possessed in common with the whole Armie of the Angels would needs aspire to a singularitie aboue all the rest saying as it is in the 14 chapter of Esay I will exalt my Throne aboue the starres of heauen c. and will be like to the Almightie And to the Emperor he wrote much after the same manner Epist 32. All those saith he which haue read the Gospell know well what the Lord said vnto Peter c. The Care and Primacie of the whole Church is committed vnto him yet is he not called the Vniuersall Apostle and yet behold my fellow Priest Iohn seeketh to be called the Vniuersall Bishop Consacerdos meus Iohannes I am now forced to crie out O the times and O the manners of men Europe is now exposed for a prey to the Barbarian and yet the Priests who should lie along in the dost vpon the pauement weeping and rolling themselues in ashes seeke after names of vanitie and boast themselues of their newfound prophane titles By which words he plainely condemneth this title of Vniuersall as well in all others as in Iohn and thereupon in opposition to him he tooke vnto himselfe first of all the Appellation of the Seruant of Seruants which title his successors after him haue vsed vntill this day But Gregorie proceeded yet farther and joyned to him Eulogius Bishop of Alexandria and Anastasius of Antioch as in a common cause requiring them to helpe stop this breach against the torrent of this his pride and eleuation And he would faine haue persuaded them that the Councell of Chalcedon did offer that title to the Bishop of Rome Epist 36. which yet we haue formerly shewed out of the whole proceedings of that Councell to be notoriously false but that none of his predecessors would accept of so prophane a title And God forbid saith he that this should euer enter into the heart of a Christian requesting them neuer hereafter to call anie man by that name in their Epistles and repeateth that saying of Pelagius That he of whom it is written This is he which is King ouer all the children of pride is neere at hand And that Iohn by thus exalting himselfe maketh himselfe his forerunner and assumeth to himselfe that which belongeth onely to the Lord Iesus And vsing no lesse libertie of stile he wrot vnto Iohn himselfe When thou wert called saith he to the office of a Bishop thou saidst that thou wert not worthie to be called a Bishop and now thou wouldest haue none a Bishop but thy selfe c. What wilt thou answer vnto Christ who is the true Head of the Vniuersall Church in that day of iudgement seeing that by this name of Vniuersall thou seekest to enthrall all the members of his Bodie vnto thy selfe whom doest thou imitate herein saue onely him who in contempt of those Legions of Angels which were his fellowes sought to mount aloft to the top of singularitie where he might be subiect to none and all others subiect vnto him that is to say Lucifer And he doubteth not to applie vnto him that which is said in the 14 of Esay Verily saith he the Apostle Peter was the principall member of the Vniuersall Church as for Paule Andrew Iohn and the rest what were they but onely the chiefe of their particular assemblies and yet all they members of the Church vnder one Head c. yet would none of those presume to call himselfe Vniuersall neither doth anie other assume that name vnto himselfe who is truly holie c. and consequently neither S. Peter himselfe nor the Bishop of Rome who claimeth from him But heare what followeth My little children saith he this is the later time which Christ himselfe foretold the pestilence and the sword now deuoure the earth c. all prophesies are now fulfilled the King of Pride is at the gates and which I dread to speake Sacerdotum an armie of Priests or Bishops standeth readie to receiue him for they who were appointed to chalke out the way of meekenesse and of humilitie are now in pay vnder that necke of Pride which lifteth it selfe vp Ceruici militant elationis meaning by the King of Pride Antichrist who relieth vpon the strength of his gard which are the Clergie of whose eleuation S. Paule had spoken in the second to the Thessalonians cap. 2. and Gregorie in this and sundrie other places speaketh after him and by warrant from him And we must here note that he charged his Deacon Sabinian not to communicate with Iohn if he renounced not this pretended title of Vniuersall Bishop And when Cyriacus who succeeded vnto Iohn persisted in the waies of his predecessor he wrote againe to Anastasius Bishop of Antioch in this manner I
advantage of the present necessitie of Charles and performed this ceremonie in farre different tearmes as well in a Synod at Rome as afterward at Paris where hauing commended Charles the Bald and spoken as much honour of him as Adrian the second had villanie and wrong and told the people that this was formerly reuealed from heauen to Nicholas the first trencheth smooth And for this cause sayth he haue we in the presence and by the suffrage of all our brethren and fellow Bishops and of all the Senat and people of Rome chosen him and approued of him c. and according to the auncient custome haue with all solemnitie aduanced him to the scepter of the Romane Empire c. and at his vnction abused the words which the Prophet had once vsed vpon our Sauiour Christ We annoint him saith he with oyle without to signifie thereby the vertue and force of the inward vnction of the holie spirit with which the Lord God hath annointed this his Christ aboue his fellowes in imitation of the true King Christ our Lord so that what he hath by nature this purchaseth by grace It came to passe that Charles was no sooner returned into France but presently the Earles of Tusculana chiefe of whom was Marquesse Albert confederated themselues against this Iohn assisted by Formosus Bishop of Port and others So that the yeare following 877 he was faine to send the Bishops of Fossembrona and Senogallia vnto him to entreat him to repasse with a power into Italie as well against the Earles of Tusculana as against the Sarasins and for his greater encouragement assembled a Synod at Rome where he cursed all those who in deed or word should oppose against the election or consecration of Charles to the Empire But the mischiefe was that passing the Alpes he fell sicke of a feauer for which he tooke a certaine pouder of Sedechias a Iew his physition whereof he died It is worth the remembrance which Rhegino reporteth of this Iohn Rhegino in Chron. Adalgisus had kept the Emperour Lewis the second prisoner at Beneuento whence he could not get free but vnder deepe oaths This Lewis saith he came to Rome and there calling an assemblie in the presence of the Pope complained of the tyrannie and wrong vsed vpon him by Adalgisus whereupon the Senat proclaimed him a Tyran and enemie to the State and grew to open hostilitie and defiance with him Yet remained there a scruple in the Emperors conscience by reason of his oath Iohn vndertooke to remoue it and his successors since that time haue often followed his example Pope Iohn saith he by the authoritie of God and of S. Peter absolued the Emperour from the oath with which he stood obliged assuring him that what euer he did or said to saue his life needed not to trouble him and that it might not be called an oath which he tooke though with neuer so manie curses vpon himselfe if it were contrarie to the weale publike O how should the verie Heathen haue made him blush in the like case By these and the like remonstrances saith he the Emperour was encouraged to make fresh warres vpon him yet fearing least his subiects more religious than the Pope should reckon him a forsworne and periured Prince he went not himselfe in person but sent the Queene against him These were euen in those dayes the deuises of the Court of Rome We haue manie times alreadie spoken of that goodlie donation of Constantine and it should seeme that it was forged at this time during the canuassing for the Empire betweene the two Charles the Bald and the Grosse the vncle and the nephew when the vncle pursued so hotly the fauour and furtherance of the Pope and we haue a great Author for it For not to speake of the stile which sauoreth wholly of this age Otho the third Emperour in that Patent which we find taken out of the Treasurie of the Popes Charters in a certaine chamber of the Cordeliers of Assisa before mentioned speaking of this donation These are sayth he meere inuentions forged by the Popes themselues by whose direction Deacon Iohn Johannes Digitorum surnamed Long-fingers wrote a graunt in letters of gold and in the name of Constantine the Great hath published a packe of lies as if they had beene graunts of great antiquitie Now if you will know when this Long-fingers liued Trithemius telleth you that it was in the time of Charles the Bald and Iohn the seuenth and he wrote the life of Gregorie the first in foure volumes and Platina himselfe sayth that he was afterward created Pope vnder the name of Iohn the ninth So that it is no great wonder if Baronius in his third Tome to qualifie the hainousnesse of this deed sayth That this donation because it was translated by Deacon Iohn out of a corrupt Greeke copie is therefore doubtfull rather than to be approued but in his twelfth Tome he flatly calleth it a forged bastard and counterfeit deed And the same Otho speaking againe of this donation sayth That they are lies when they affirme that anie Charles euer gaue that to S. Peter which belonged to the Emperour For we answere saith he That this Charles meaning the Bald could not lawfully dispose of anie thing by way of gift seeing that before such graunt made he was alreadie routed in the field and put from the Empire by a better Charles meaning the Grosse wherefore he gaue what was none of his owne to giue but that which he possessed by violence for the present and had no hope long to keepe And of this routing of Charles you may read farther in a French Chronicle now lately published by Pithaeus And farther this good Prelat Iohn learnedly setteth downe the admirable vertue of the Pall or Mantle when he sent him to Wilibert Bishop of Colen hoping by his commendation to raise the market Johan ep ad Willibardum episc Coloniens The vse of this Pall or Mantle saith he among other rare qualities hath this speciall vertue that so soone as it is bestowed vpon anie man presently it taketh away all imputation of faults formerly committed not that the mantle doth purifie from sinnes but because the care of him which bestoweth it ought to be such that he will not bestow it but vpon one that is cleare from them alreadie and therefore he from whom this gift is taken away i. to whom it is denied is but an imperfect man and perfect can he not be on whom this holie aid is not bestowed for a confortatiue But seeing that it is now indifferently bestowed vpon all where is that care and consequently that vertue which is pretended OPPOSITION Charles enjoyed but a while this benefit of the Pope in which time yet he made a great breach in the imperiall authoritie Aimoni. lib. 5. c. 32 33. We read in Aimonius That he appointed a Synod at Pontigon by the aduise and counsell of Iohn Bishop of Tuscanie and
arising in the Church of Rome through the dissention of two Popes it is our duetie to call both parties and according to equitie and iustice to decide the controuersie The day therefore being come he ordayned fasting and publike prayers for the good successe of this Councel then declared he first vnto them That albeit the conuocation of Councels rightly appertayned vnto him For so saith he haue Constantine and Theodosius and also Iustinian besides those of later time Charles the great and Otho Emperours done Neuerthelesse the authoritie of defining and deciding this great and important businesse he thought fit to commit to their wisedome and iudgement Radeuicus l. 2. cap. 64.65 For since it pleased God to ordaine them Priests in those things that belonged vnto God It is not saith he our parts to iudge of you to whom God hath giuen power to iudge of vs Onely we exhort you saith he that you so carrie your selues in this businesse as you will answer the matter at the iudgement seat of God This done he retired himselfe from the Councell leauing the examination thereof to the Church and Ecclesiasticall persons that is to say to fiftie Archbishops and Bishops and Abbots without number besides Embassadours from diuers Prouinces who promised they would stand to whatsoeuer should be decreed in this Synode So the Bishops and all the Clergie continued in the canuasing of this cause the space of seuen daies at length the lot fell to Octanian called Victor the fourth the Councell or rather the Court giuing their sentence for him and condemned Roxland called Alexander the third who being lawfully summoned proudly refused to appeare Blondus and Sigonius say his reason was That he that ought to iudge all men ought not to be iudged of any man But Radeuicus in his narration seriously admonisheth the Reader that in the inquisition of the veritie of this act a man respect not his words but the writings that came to his owne hands which are inserted into this worke and will not seeme tedious to the Reader But first he produced an Epistle of the Chanons of S. Peter of Rome to Frederick Jdem l. 2. c. 66. wherein after they had bewailed the corruption of Rome as the Prophets before deplored the state of Ierusalem in these words For the sinnes of the Prophets and the iniquitie of the Priests they haue wandered like blindmen in the streets for the face of the Lord was turned from them They declare that in the time of Adrian one Boson whom they call the first borne of Satan possest the sorts and holds of S. Peter by corrupting the gard who were inforst by oth to giue their faith vnto him But Rowland seeing the lawfull election to fall vpon Octauian without any contradiction ascended the same fort and there lurked with his associats in a hollow vault of Neroes I say the same vault whereinto the Romane Nero fled through feare of the Romans yet could he neuer afterward attaine the pontificall Mantle for all the care and diligence of his followers Radeuic l. 2. c. 66.67.68.69.70.71.72.73.74.75.76 And heere let the Reader note a peece of strange diuinitie that from a mantle cast vpon the shoulders of a man whether by right or by wrong by freewill or by force an argument should be drawne of a lawfull or vnlawfull election especially his that is accounted the chiefe Bishop of the Christian Church They come afterward to the act of the Councell which being plainely and simply propounded by the Author by all circumstances iustifieth the election of Victor and weakeneth and disableth that of Alexander But yet it is continually a question An immantatus Rolandus nec ne which is perpetually denied by all Then was made a catalogue of all those that had giuen their consent with Victor and Rowland himself said to his partakers De me non facietis ridiculum â—bi est Papa ite ad eum obedite Make not me your laughing-stocke the Pope is there goe to him and obey him The Councell therefore being led by these and the like proofes pronounced sentence which was likewise ratified by the Emperour being presented vnto him The Presidents of the Councell writ into diuers parts of the world that for these causes aforesaid they had chosen Victor and abandoned Rowland whom they had curst with booke and candle to the Deuill himselfe because in the life of Adrian he would haue made a confederacie that none but of the number of the confederats should be chosen Pope and these Synodall letters were signed by Pâ—regrinus Patriarch of Aquileia with his suffragans Arnaldus of Menze Artenicus of Breâ—e Hellinus of Treuers Renaldus of Collen Wickman of Magdeburge for Germanie with their followers For France the Archbishops of Bizanson Arles Lion Vienna with their suffragans The Embassadors of the Kings of England Hungarie Denmarke grounding themselues vpon the commaunds and letters of their Lords and an infinite number of Bishops Abbots and Prelates of Italy and Lords of the Empire as well within as without Italy did likewise subscribe thereunto And the Embassadours that were sent from the Councell to worke a quiet approbation of what was done in that Councell was the Bishop of Collen into France of Verdune into Spaine of Prague into Hungarie Which to this end be it spoken that it might plainely appeare how justly and vprightly Frederick carried himselfe in that Councell against the practises that were afterward made in diuers parts by Alexander The Abbot of Vrsperge made a short abridgement of all this businesse There is law ynough saithe he that the election of Rowland being disproued Octauian should be iudged the right and lawfull Bishop of Rome c. And Rome continued in confusion through conspiracies that that might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet They that rise vp against me shall be confounded and againe My seruant shall be replenished with ioy c. Alexander had no sooner vnderstood these things but he was the more eagre and forward to excommunicat Victor and Frederick but first he sent to Milan the Cardinall of Anaigne who excommunicated all those cities that fauoured Frederick and joyned in a firme league with his enemies But doubting it would not fall out well for his aduantage to hold a Councell in Italie resolued with himselfe at the Spring of the yeare 1162 to passe into France An. 1162. being the bolder because Lewis the younger and Henrie the second King of England were yet wauering and doubtfully affected the one towards the other and that those of the Order of the Cistertienses who then bare great sway in France would be readie to take his part He arriued at Montpellier about Easter where he was receiued in the Kings name by Theobald Abbot of S. Germaine neere Paris from whence departing within some few dayes he held a Councell at Claramont in Auergne where he cursed and excommunicated Victor Frederick and all that tooke their part Frederick in
his permission That Clerkes accused of any crime being aduertised by the Kings Iustice may come to the place appointed and answere for themselues That the Archbishops Bishops may not depart the realm without the Kings licence and without taking an oth to do nothing either in going staying or returning to his preiudice That the Archbishops Bishops and others who hold of the King in Capite and haue their possessions of the King should answere to the Iustices after the same manner as the Lords and Barons of the realme The vacation of a Church hapning the King sending for the principall persons thereof commandeth them to make choise of a successour in his Chappell with his consent and the Councell of the realme in whose presence the man chosen shall doe homage and loyaltie to the King as to his liege Lord of his life his body and of his worldly preferment except his order and that before he be consecrated and to this are sworne all Archbishops Bishops Abbots Priors Earles Barons and the Nobilitie of the realme viua voce in the word of truth to obserue towards the King and his successours for euer Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterburie who was the first that had taken this oth within few daies after being corrupted by Alexander the third who in a Councell held at Tours placed him vpon his right hand requested his absolution whom Alexander soone discharged both of the oth and the sinne But this is to be noted that the thing that vrged him most was That they of the Clergie that were taken in publico Flagitio in publike wickednesse by the Kings officers might bee deliuered to the Bishop without any punishment inflicted vpon them contrarie to that order the King had ordained that those whom the Bishops themselues should find faultie ought to be degraded in the presence of his officers and afterward be deliuered to the Kings Court to be punished But Thomas did heere exclaime that this was to be punished twice for one and the same thing that is to say degraded by the Bishop and punished by secular authoritie Now good Reader hee that dies for such a cause is he a Saint or a Martyr For what wickednesse will not a man iustifie if only degrading may discharge the punishment Now Thomas hauing wrought with al the Bishops of England his suffragans to renounce their allegiance without the kings knowledge passed the sea towards Alexander into France who from time to time delaied his answere vnto him fearing to offend the King his affaires then hanging but in a wauering and doubtfull manner but as the authour saith pensans periculosa tempora weighing the dangerous times granted to the Archbishop of Yorke by a Bull the office of Legat Insomuch that Thomas displeased with these delayes writing to the Archbishop of Mence Epist Thomae Cantuariens ad Archiepisc Moguntin thus complaineth Matrem Romam factam esse meritricem pro mercede prostitutam Our mother Rome is become a harlot and prostituted to whosoeuer will giue most From this wee may gather what the other Bishops of England might say when Thomas his pretended Martyr had spoken in this sort Now of this Henrie the second whom Thomas had wilfully made his aduersarie Peter of Blois Archdeacon of Bath and Chancellour of Canterburie writing to Gualterus Bishop of Palerme hath left vs this worthie testimonie No man saith he is more wise and subtill in counsell in speech more vehement more carelesse in dangers nor more constant and resolute in aduersitie c. hauing alwaies in his hands either a bow a sword or a iauelin except sitting in counsell or busie at his booke for whensoeuer he had any respite from his important and waightie affaires spent his time in priuate studie and reading or in arguing with learned men his daily life is as if it were a Schole of learning in dissoluing continually difficult questions None more mild than he in speech more temper at in eating more moderat in drinking more bountifull in gifts more liberall in almes c. Our King is peaceable victorious in warre glorious in peace c. None more gentle and meeke to the afflicted more gratious and affable to the poore none more seuere to the proud for he euer studied as it were by an image of diuinitie to beat downe the hauty and proud minded to raise the oppressed and continually to persecute the swelling loftinesse of pride c. But when according to the custome of the realme he had in elections the greatest and most powerfull part neuerthelesse hee would haue his hands euer free from all partiality and corruption For the death of this Thomas who procured his wrath through so many mischiefes and iniuries I tell you saith he in the word of our Lord and by the faith and order of a Deacon that in my conscience he was no way culpable or guilty thereof And thus much the Lord Theodinus Bishop of Port and the Lord Albert Chauncellor who came hether as Legats to examine the truth and haue knowne and reported his innocency can affirme c. which Legats after a canonicall purgation by the commandement of the Pope pronounced him cleare of this crime before God and the World Notwithstanding these Legats made benefit as the manner is of the rebellion of Henrie his sonne through certaine words that he had vttered in some choler whereby the authours of his death were emboldened to attempt the life of the said Thomas who inforced him to purchase his absolution with the hurt of his kingdome abolishing those customes that were brought in against the liberties of the Church and approuing all appellations to the sea of Rome and all this for the remission of his sinnes Mathew Paris discoursing of this Historie Math. Paris in Henr. 2. giueth vs to vnderstand by certaine circumstances that it was the pride of Alexander or at least his Legats The King and the Archbishop saith he being come to Freteuall to be reconciled they twice descended their horses and as often mounted againe and both these times the King held the raines of the Bishops bridle What dutie would the Pope haue looked for when so much was done to his Legat Againe though the King alwaies protested that he neuer commanded nor willed nor by any deuise sought the death of Thomas neuerthelesse because through some of his own words not aduisedly spoken these murtherers had taken occasion thereby to kill him this proud beast inforst him asking his absolution to submit his naked skin to the punishment of the whip and that all the religious people there assembled being a great multitude should euery man giue him three or fiue lashes which the King miserably bewitched by those Romish sorceries submitteth himselfe vnto The saying of one Gratian the Popes Legat is worth the noting in this cause to the King of England who had said somewhat vnto him in threatning manner Sir saith he threaten vs not we feare no threatnings for we
expoundeth against the old Testament the Apostles and Euangelists These Decrees Innocent the fourth made to be compiled into one volume by one Raymund a Iacobin Frier and wil haue them to be accounted authenticall and is that which is named Decretals The Councell of Lions promised a great reformation to the Church and here it is That Cardinals from thenceforth should weare red hats and scarlet cloakes and should ride through the citie on horses well caparisonned for the honour of their dignitie Thinke that Christendome was hereby wonderfully well restored And this is spoken to shew who haue beene inuentors of this pompe as also of the superstitious deuotions at this day held in so high accompt OPPOSITION Who will thinke it strange if no man dare resist a pride so inueterat a possession of so long time taken to rule the world at his pleasure to condemne to hell whosoeuer resisteth him And yet euen in this most desperat wicked age there hath not wanted some that haue opposed themselues against the exactions violences and corruptions of the Church of Rome In England they thought all things lawfull for them boasting themselues to be Soueraigne Lords thereof vnder colour of the Charter of king Iohn who had submitted himselfe to their homage There we shall see a piece of their gouernement wherby we may judge into what ruine they wold haue brought the church if they had bin left to their owne will The BB. of England were reuolted against their king at the Popes instigation So that peace being made betweene king S. Lewis and Henrie the third king of England they see themselues excluded they therefore haue recourse to the Pope to be restored Among these was Henrie Bishop of Lincolne of whom Honorius exacted a thousand markes of siluer and so of the rest according to that proportion Such saith the Author was the Spirituall dropsie of the Court of Rome He also calleth him Leonem feritate sanguisugum auaritia a Lion in fiercenesse a bloud-sucker in couetousnesse This Pope sendeth Otho his Legat into England who in full Councell produceth the Popes letters in which he is not ashamed to alledge the scandale of the holie Church of Rome and her most antient opprobrie namely the staine of concupiscence the root of all euils and in this chiefely that none can dispatch any businesse in the Court of Rome but with great expences of money and giuing of gifts And because saith he that pouertie is the cause of this infamie children of a good nature ought to helpe the necessitie of their mother And note the remedie that he bringeth for this That of all the Cathedrall Churches two prebends should be giuen him one of the Bishop another of the Chapiter and in like manner of Abbayes and Monasteries promising if this be graunted to doe them iustice without rewards The Clergie of England thereupon assemble and vpon the reading of the Popes letters looke one vpon another admiring the couetousnesse of the Romans who had not learned this morall distich Quòd virtus reddit non copia sufficientem Et non paupertas sed mentis hiatus egentem Vertue not plentie makes man rich indeed A greedie mind though rich is still in need But the king by the aduice of the Prelats and Nobles of the realme answered That this businesse concerned all Christendome in the vtmost skirts whereof hee was that like as he should see other Estates gouerne themselues erga tales exactiones towards such exactions the Pope should find him readie to follow their example And indeed our Frenchmen being assembled in Councell vpon the same matter at Bourges the king being present where sat Romanus the Popes Legat to whom they propounded so many reasons partly in refutation partly in derision of the proposition he made in the Popes behalfe and of the commoditie he promised the world thereby that he himselfe was euen ashamed therewith the conclusion was in these words So much wealth would make the Romans madde and so betweene the diuers kindreds among them would arise so many seditions of which now already they are not free as the ruine of the whole citie might iustly be feared This is not the meanes to drie vp the spring of couetousnesse that which they now doe by themselues they then would doe by others and would procure to giue more rewards to their partakers than now they doe After which the Archbishop of Lyons said My Lord wee will euer haue friends in the Court of Rome and therefore we haue need of aboundance of gifts But my Lord let the Zeale of the vniuersall Church moue you and of the holie See of Rome for if there were an vniuersall oppression of all there would be cause to feare ne immineret generalis discessio least a generall reuolt or Apostasie were at hand which God forbid That reuolt is foretold by the Apostle speaking of Antichrist 2. Thessal 2. Hee therefore protested that he had neuer consented thereunto and that hee had receiued commaundement of the Pope being now entred into France whereat he greatly grieued Gregorie is no sooner come to the Popedome but following the steps of his predecessors he sendeth into England his Nuntio and Chaplaine who being heard in the assemblie of Prelats produceth the Popes letters whereby he openly demaunded the tenths of all the moueable goods as well of the Clergie as of the Laitie for the extermination of Frederick The king who had alreadie by his solicitors engaged himselfe to Rome held his peace as being become a staffe of a reed to them that trusted in him But the Earles and Barons and all other lay persons absolutely declared That they would in no wise suffer that their Baronies and lay possessions should be in any sort obliged to the Church of Rome In like manner also the Prelats and whole Clergie who yet three dayes after waxed calmer fearing a sentence of excommunication which the Legat was found to haue in commission from the Pope and indeed hee imployed it against all them that made difficultie to obey and of thâ—se tenthes which he exacted with threats for feare of the excommunications hee agreed and made part with one Stephen Segraue a Counsellor of the king in so much that he tooke the tenth of the fruits of Autumne which was yet but in the blade and for to haue readie money he constrained the Churchmen to sell Chalices siluer pots and other vessels of the Altar the Land is filled with continuall but secret maledictions all people curse both the exactions and the exactors exactio suis nunquam exactoribus fiat fructuosa yea the Pope himselfe that it might neuer prosper with him And after that time England was no more seene without forraine vsurers from beyond the Alpes who vnder the name of Marchants made gainful vse of the extorsions of the Court of Rome Whereby in a short time after the subiects of the kingdom as well noble as ignoble were brought to that desperate extreamitie that to seeke
readie his coach commaunded to be carried in it though it were the depth of Winter so farre as to Venice Yet because among so many delayes he must needs pretend some colour of reason to the world by faire promises he winneth vnto him certaine begging Friers who preach vnto the people That with a good conscience the vnion cannot bee made and by their ministerie publisheth eighteene articles against the same L. 3. c. 23. That if he should giue ouer his Popedome to the end that the vnion might thereupon follow he should in so doing sinne mortally and should damne his soule for euer to bee tormented in the paines of hell by reason of the dangers of soules and great hurt of bodies that might ensue thereupon Abusing with such lyes the simple people That if Gregorie and his Cardinalls and Courtiers had gone or should goe to Sauona they all had beene or should be the sonnes of death And this in the meane time whilest solemne processions were made at Sienna for the vnion in which he himselfe was present couered with the cloke of hypocrisie bestoweth large Indulgences on such as followed them and on them that prayed for the same in so much as he sent of them into diuers nations Beguardis by certaine Monkes whom hee affected Tenthly New counsels seeme to giue vnto him new causes of delayes He treateth with the gouernour of Luca to be receiued into the citie that being neerer to Benedict hee may the more commodiously conferre with him persuading himselfe that he should be denied and so might haue a new excuse whereas he on the contrarie willingly yeeldeth to his request Then Gregorie requireth fiftie of the best families in hostage an vnhonest request which neuerthelesse is granted him least any thing should hinder so necessarie a worke Yet here he findeth out a new subtile shift That he would not enter into the citie but would haue the castle of Pietra Santa in his power which was the strongest place of the sayd Gouernour which hee also granteth him euen without hostages At length hauing no more pretences to make he entreth into Luca trifling away the time till the beginning of the month of August all the times before assigned being long agoe past And when the embassadors of Princes were instant with both of them on euerie side they haue the same answer from each of them That the fault is not in him that the vnion goeth not forward in which doubtlesse they both agreed together Gregorie in the meane time priuatly with his Chamberlaine and his nephewes disposed of all businesses for money of Bishopricks Abbies gouernements and expeditions although in publike he was ignorant of the things belonging to the Popedome and ridiculous in his speeches and answers being woont to say in Consistorie That the Cardinals had conspired against him to make him leaue the Popedome to the preiudice of his obedience Eleuenthly Benedict was come as farre forward as Porto-venere to the end that he might seeme to performe his duetie whereupon Gregorie is by his followers with greater instance vrged Then being giuen into a reprobat sence against his oath so oftentimes repeated hee resolued to create new Cardinalls namely his nephewes though his Cardinalls persuade him to the contrarie That this would be to giue Benedict some colourable reason to say That hee was the cause that the vnion was not made till at last ouercome with the importunat requests of the embassadours of Polonia Prussia and other nations expostulating with him he consenteth to deferre the same for certaine weekes And then about mid-Lent on the Laetare Sonday Nicholas de Luca a Carmelite Frier durst preach against him euen in his presence whom about the euening in the sight of all the embassadours he commaunded to be carried to prison from which he was hardly at their earnest requests at length deliuered yet on this condition That hee should preach no more Cap. 4. 25. neither durst any man thenceforth goe vp into the pulpet vnlesse with resolution to please his eares Many Bishops also least they should communicate with him at Easter some one way some another withdrew themselues from him yea many embassadours returned into their countries so that least he should altogether lose his dignitie he determined at length for once to write backe an answer to the letters of Benedict There he complaineth That Benedict had drawne the time out so long by being obstinat in retaining still the place of Sauona so that you would say that there were great wrong done him and offereth to meet him if he please at Pisa Benedict on the contrarie in his answer sheweth That he was proceeded as far as to Porto-venere that therefore Gregorie might come so farre as to Pietra Sancta a towne vnder his obedience where the Lord of Luca promised to giue him his onely sonne some of his neere kinsmen and fortie citizens besides for hostage That for his part hee had offered to commit himselfe to the faith of his countreymen the Venetians and many other things which would haue cut off all delay And that whereas now he maketh to him a new motion of Pisa without specifying any assurance for him he could not yet resolue of it but sent in the meane time his Legats wel informed of his intent who might with Gregorie and the Lord of Luca determine of the whole businesse The resolution of Gregorie was at last after many tergiuersations That both of them should request the Florentines by their embassadours to assigne vnto them a safe and fit place because that at the request of one of them alone they would not easily doe it But during these delayes Ladislaus king of Hungarie by the counsell of Gregorie is receiued into Rome by Paul Vrsini gouernour of the citie and maketh himselfe Lord of the Citie which was the cause that on the one side he held the Popedome the more assured because he had the seat thereof in his power and on the other side it prepared a readie excuse for him to returne to Rome to take order about it For that this was done by this politique deuise is manifest euen out of this that his followers triumphing as of a thing well done could not refrain from making dances for joy euen in his palace Twelftly Gregorie therefore taketh no more paynes for a place to set forward the vnion being now assured to breake it off by the assistance of Ladislaus and so returning to his nature against his oath and notwithstanding any thing that the Lord of Luca objected against it he created foure new Cardinals Cap. 31. and added vnto them a kinsman of his for to bind the said Lord vnto him And when the Cardinal refused he commanded some bishops and auditors of the Rota to sit and assist him therein these were Anthonie his Chamberlaine and Gabriel Gondemar his nephewes a protonotarie of Vdena and one Iohn a Dominicke Frier one of them that preached at Siena by his commaundement
Iohn the three and twentieth for an expedition beyond the sea whereupon some Popes afterwards vnder other pretences would haue continued them but the cause of them ceasing they were to cease too neither could they be any longer tollerated especially at this time wherein Italie France Germanie and England were at peace and amitie one with the other And here they spent much time in the vnfolding of those exactions that were then in force Where they proue That neither the Pope nor the Church of Rome could by law impose any thing vpon Churches or Churchmen since he was not their Lord but Christ onely That these exactions are contrarie to the minds of their founders whose successors complaine vnto the king That the goods giuen to Churches are transferred to other vses yea to the vtter ouerthrow of Church and Commonwealth and all orders therein concluding in the end That the whole nation would neuer pay them vnder what pretence soeuer they were demaunded It were too tedious a thing here to repeat all their reasons the principall are these Annuities seeme to bind men to fall into heresie taking the word in the larger sence that is to say That it is lawfull to buy things spirituall or for spirituall to giue siluer or things temporall c. Item He that is so promoted seemeth to commit simonie and periurie Which they proue by that obligation that was required of Patriarches Archbishops Bishops c. You c. by the Apostolike permission and authoritie granted to you in that behalfe doe freely offer and promise of your own wills to giue for your common seruice to the Chamber of your most holie Father and Lord in Christ Pope Alexander and the holie and sacred Colledge of reuerend Fathers and Lords in Christ of the Church of Rome that is to say the Cardinals c. so many Florins of gold of the Chamber of good and lawfull weight c. with diuers other clauses verie strait which they were to sweare vpon the Euangelist and vnder paine of excommunication c. There flourished in these times the Cardinall Zabarella a famous Lawyer Zabarella de schismate circa annum 1406. who writ of schisme he feareth not to say That the defenders of the Pope had so corrupted the Canon law with their Glosses that there was nothing so vnlawfull which they thought not lawfull for them to doe in so much that they extolled him aboue God himselfe making him more than God From whence sprang infinit errors the Pope chalenging vnto himselfe a right ouer all inferior Churches and making small account of all inferiour Prelats in so much saith he that if God giue not his helping hand to the present state of the Catholike Church it is in danger of an vtter ouerthrow But at the next Councell it shall be necessarie to restraine this power and to confine it to that which is lawfull since it is a power subiect to that of the Church as it appeares in the fifteenth of the Acts wherein and not in him doth the fulnesse of power reside and in a generall Councell which representeth the Church In so much that the Church neither can nor euer could transferre that power in such sort to any one but that it euer remained wholly in her selfe not in the Pope whom she had euer power to depose And therefore it is vaine that they commonly boast of That he that is judged by the Church cannot be judged by men but by God alone It is in the power of the Emperor saith he to call Councels which plainely appeareth by the example of Constantine Iustinian Charles who did preside and were chiefe Iudges ouer them as it appeares by the first vniuersall Nicene Councell and others where when matters of faith were treated of the lay people were likewise present Neither is it lawfull for the Pope to hinder the calling of Councels by the intermission whereof the Church incurreth great danger whilest the Popes gouerne it after the manner of secular Princes not Ecclesiasticall Prelats And that which is more the Emperour if hee doubt thereof may demaund of the Pope a reason of his faith and if he be accused of any manifest crime proceed likewise against him by a course of law and to depose him he being the principall Aduocat and defender of the Catholike Church As touching the pretended fulnesse of power he saith That Saint Peter neuer had it but that he was one of the chiefe Apostles and ministers to whom in as much as he bare the person of the Church the keyes were deliuered For as well at Antioch as at Rome he tooke vpon him the administration of his part or portion no otherwise than the rest did And therefore the Pope commaunding nothing but what is just and lawfull is to be obeyed But whereas it is said that he is solutus legibus not subiect to lawes it is to be vnderstood of his owne lawes and not the law of God whereunto he is bound as well as others We must therefore beware least that honour be done vnto him whereby we may make him equall with God nay in any sort to adore him since S. Peter himselfe would neuer endure it but vtterly refused it Acts 10. And whereas it is commonly said That the Church cannot erre he saith it can no way be vnderstood of the Pope or of the Church of Rome but of the Church of Christ and the congregation of the faithfull And that euerie particular member of the Church is bound to be carefull for the preseruation of the Catholike faith And this he saith he hath presumed to write in this manifest danger of the Church moued onely with a zeale of God and his glorie and not any hope or expectation of reward In like manner writ our Clemangis Archdeacon of Bayeux in his booke Of the corrupt estate of the Church which was produced in the Councell of Constance where he setteth downe by what degrees the Church rose to her temporal height and her spirituall declination at one and the same time and by what subtilties the Pope got all to himselfe and fatted himselfe by staruing others Afterwards comming to particular corruptions Nicholaus Clemangis in lib. de corrupto Ecclesiae flatu They beare more patiently saith he the losse of ten thousand soules than of ten shillings what say I more patiently yea they beare the ruine and losse of soules without any motion of the mind whereof there is with them not onely no care but no thought at all whereas for their owne priuat domesticall losses they presently grow furious He saith likewise a little after The studie of Diuinitie and such as make profession thereof are made a mocke and ieasting stocke which is most monstrous to the Popes themselues who preferre their owne traditions farre before the commaundements of God Now that worthie and excellent function of preaching sometimes attributed to Pastors onely and proper vnto them is of that base account with them that they
erected within the Palace in the Oratorie of S. Caesarius the Martyr And what is this the way to expiat so horrible a murther Or can he which was so much offended with Gregorie his humble and lowly behauior towards Maurice be well pleased with this toward Phocas vnder colour that he complained that at his comming he found no Apocrisarius Gregor lib. 11. ep 43. for so they called him or Responsalis that is no Deputie or Solicitor for the Romane Church Lieger and resident at Constantinople Which were those Hincmar Rhemen ep 3. c. 13. as Hincmar describeth them who after the translation of the Imperiall Seat to Constantinople solicited the Church causes at the Emperours Court as well for the Church of Rome as for the other Prime Sees And therefore in this the Popes could not chalenge it as due from the Emperours neither had they in this anie prerogatiue aboue other Bishops But Gregorie goeth on What thankes saith he owe we to God that we are now come to sit vnder the pleasant shade of your gracious Empire and are brought from the day of sorrow and sadnesse into this time of libertie and gladnesse Poore Heathenish creature as thou wert Papinian O how shalt thou one day rise in judgement against this holie man But read a little farther Those saith he who heretofore feared to goe vnto the Court Ad vestra vestigia now run with ioy vnto thy feet meaning to reside there in qualitie of Deputie or Solicitor for him And seeing that Gregorie here vseth the same terme of submission vnto Phocas which before he vsed to Maurice will Baronius say as he did in hatred of Maurice that it was feare or that it was respect and reuerence which made him so to speake And yet this Phocas for whom this Saint summoneth the holie Angels to rejoice what was he but a drunkard a whoremaster bloudie cruell violent brutish and hereticall Cedren in Chron. and so was his wife also as Cedrenas reporteth of them and which is more he was the man vnder whom the Romane Empire suffered more calamities than euer it had done before The Aire grew pestilent the Earth became barren the Sea was frozen with yee with a generall mortalitie of men beasts and fishes When as therefore all Elements mourned and all creatures groaned vnder the burthen of such a monster was it well done of Gregorie to rejoice alone Thirdly Baronius deduceth this Decree of Phocas made in fauour of the See of Rome in this manner Gregorie saith he had done what he could to obtaine this Decree of Maurice but could not preuaile afterward vpon summons from Phocas he sent Boniface to reside in qualitie of Solicitor neere vnto the Emperours person This Boniface continued there vntill the death of Gregorie and became verie gracious with the Emperour so that when Sabinian happened also shortly after to die he thought good to put him in his place Now this Boniface made good vse of the hatred which Phocas bare vnto Cyriacus the Patriarch of Constantinople and made it serue for his owne aduancement to the title of Vniuersall Bishop But what was the ground of this hatred Theophanus and Cedrenus whom Baronius himselfe alledgeth tell us That one Scholasticus an Eunuch in the fourth yeare of the reigne of Phocas hauing saued the old Empresse Constantina and her three daughters and hid them secretly in the Church at the length Phocas hauing notice thereof sent some of his gard to make them away Cyriacus withstood them and before he would deliuer them tooke an oath of the Tyran so speake they that he should doe no violence to their persons who indeed for the present thrust them into a Monasterie but at the end of one yeare caused them all foure to be murthered Now what was this in Boniface but onely to abuse Phocas his tyrannicall passions to the quenching of that greedie thirst of his owne ambition And what reason then haue they to be offended with vs when we say that the first founder of their Vniuersalitie was a Parricide or rather a monster of all Parricides that euer were For whereas he saith That he gaue not this priuiledge to the Bishop of Rome but onely decided the controuersie betweene him and the Bishop of Constantinople when they contended for it besides that we haue alreadie shewed that all Historians say the contrarie where can be shew either Councell or other judiciall meeting where both parties came to hearing Or what was there in all that businesse to be seene but onely a practise of Boniface and an absolute commaund of Phocas But let vs now see a little farther what Baronius alledgeth for the Popes authoritie about this time An. 603. art 7. Gregor lib. 11. ep 10. First he produceth a certaine priuiledge graunted by Gregorie to the Hospitall of Authun wherein he deposeth euerie King or Prince which shall offer to infringe that priuiledge A priuiledge no doubt taken out of the same budget that that other of Saint Medard was For how could he who was so crouching to Kings and Princes all his life time be so audacious to depose them after his death Secondly he pretendeth Ib. ep 8. that Queene Brunchaut requested leaue of him to call a Synod in Fraunce But we haue alreadie shewed that our Kings of Fraunce knew well ynough how to call Synods of their owne authoritie and the place it selfe which he alledgeth out of S. Gregorie saith onely thus That she requested him to send some one in his behalfe into Fraunce Facta Synodo who in the Synod which should there be held might correct all which should be done contrarie to the Canons and himselfe sticketh not to tell vs that she did this onely to claw poll with him because the French had at that time occasion to vse his fauour toward the Emperour which maketh him to say as he doth Vtinam serio non per imaginem c. Moreouer Baron ibid. an 603. art 18. Baronius produceth a certaine Appeale made by Ianuarius Bishop of Malaga in Spaine and saith that Gregorie thereupon sent one Iohn to haue the hearing of the cause vpon the place it selfe Where by the way we must obserue that the question was not concerning anie sentence giuen against Ianuarius but onely of an outrage committed vpon his person by one Comitiolus a Lord of great authoritie in that countrey and that therefore this was no Appeale but onely a Refuge But he had forgotten to tell vs how in his Instructions Gregorie commaunded Iohn to haue alwaies before his eies the lawes of Iustinian to gouerne themselues thereby forthese are his words Concerning the person of the Bishop Ianuarius you must remember that this was done contrarie to the Law in that he pulled him by violence out of his Church Ib. ep 54. Which fact he saith ought to haue been punished as treason by the Constitution of Arcadius and Honorius alledging the Law it selfe all at large
but that others elsewhere doe at the least mutter something For to see a curtisan of all others in the world the most infamous to raigne at Rome and to raigne ouer the Popes and to create Popes at her pleasure what is it but to present vnto themselues the mother of fornications as it were by an Epitome And this was neuerthelesse in those times when the mariage of Priests was condemned for an Heresie insomuch that against maried Priests there could be found no law too seuere nor punishment too painefull At this time also there was much contention about the real presence of Christ in the Sacrament that by how much lesse they beleeued God in heauen by so much the more carefull they were to affirme him to be in the bread in the Priests hand in his words in his nods and that by these means when it pleased them they could make him appeare vpon the earth so that as the Apostle speaketh Dishonestie followeth infidelitie and corruption in manners impietie Italie now being wearied with these monsters is forst at last to thinke of a remedie especially being elsewhere troubled and disquieted with the oppressions of young Berengarius and his sonne insupportable to men of all conditions But the kings of the race of Charlemaigne being extinct in Germanie and the Germans chusing kings of their owne nation they had recourse vnto Otho the sonne of king Henrie Luitprand l. 6. c. 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 vsque ad finem duke of Saxonie who then raigned there greatly renowmed for his vertue and justice And some say That Iohn himselfe partly intreated by the chiefe Lords of Italie partly wearied by the Berengarians sent Legats vnto Otho Iohn a Deacon and Aso the Secretarie to entreat him to come and succour the Church it may be vnder this pretence to demaund justice against himselfe as it appeared afterward But howsoeuer it was they both made peace with Otho and as they promised him being come to Rome the Empire so he for his part sweareth with all the power he had to exalt the Church of Rome and Iohn the ruler thereof Moreouer he promiseth that he will neuer be actor or author in any thing that may detract from that honour he hath and to restore whatsoeuer shall fall into his hands that belongs to Saint Peter and to giue in commaund vnto him to whom he shall commit the gouernement of Italie to sweare that he shall euer assist the Pope and defend the dominions of Saint Peter with all his force Which being done Otho came to Rome in the yeare 961 being magnificently receiued of all and there bindes himselfe by oath to the Pope and the Pope to him Otho restoring vnto him according to his promise whatsoeuer of his he had gotten into his power and shortly after returned to Pauia There was in the oath that Iohn made to the Emperour taken vpon the corps of S. Peter Luitprand l. 6. c. 6. this clause That he would neuer giue assistance to Berengarius and Adelbert his sonne neuerthelesse he no sooner saw Otho departed but presently he sent to Adelbert and spareth not to promise any thing vnto him against the Emperour who neuerthelesse being come at his request in such sort astonished him that hee had abandoned Rome and retired himselfe vnder the protection of the Sarasens at Fraxinet This new and incredible thing the Emperour would not easily beleeue but sent to his most familiar and trustiest friends in Rome priuily to enquire the truth thereof Wherupon the best of the citizens did assure him That he should not any way doubt thereof yea faithfully beleeue That the diuell hated not more his Creator than Iohn the Pope the most sacred Emperor albeit he deliuered him from the hands of Adelbert his enemie Wherefore they paint out the said Iohn in all his colours as before is said in Luitprand For they say There is not greater discord betweene the Wolfe and the Lambe than hatred in him towards the Emperour who the better to commit his wickednesse without punishment had need of an Adelbert for his defendor The Emperour who staied all this while at Pauia resolued to returne againe to Rome purposing by the way to chastise Berengarius But Iohn who doubted of somewhat that might sinisterly ensue gaue to vnderstand by his Legats That heretofore he had beene carried by the heat of youth but he was now resolued to be wiser and propoundeth withall certaine complaints for which the Emperour yeeldeth to make him satisfaction yet all this will not content him but still reserueth matter of malice and mischiefe And hereupon procured Adelbert to come and honourably receiued him into Rome The Emperor in the meane time drawing neere The greater part of the noblest and chiefest Romans tooke by force the castle of S. Paule and thither inuite the Emperor and gaue him pledges Whereupon the Pope together with Adelbert incontinently fled from Rome Then Otho being receiued into the citie they promise him loyaltie and faith adding moreouer and firmely swearing That they would neuer chuse any Pope or ordaine any without the consent and election of the Emperour Otho and the king his sonne Finally within three dayes following at the request of the Bishops and the people of Rome there assembled a great Synod in the Church of S. Peter where the Archbishops sat with the Emperor that is to say for Englefred Patriarch of Aquilea being then sicke in the citie Rodolphus a Deacon Walbert of Milan Peter of Rauenna of Germanie also and France many Archbishops and diuers Bishops of Italie all the principal and chiefe Bishops euen to the number of thirtie and more besides the Suffragans themselues of the Bishopricke of Rome and all the Priests Cardinals and Deacons and other officers of the Roman Church and also all the principall and chiefe persons in the citie of Rome which are all seuerally named by Luitprand in his Historie And therefore Lambert of Schaffnaburg calleth it The Great Synod Lambertus Schaffnaburg an 963. Luitprand l. 6. c. 7. In which the Emperor omitted not any thing that belonged to the forme of law and a generall silence being made hee began and asked before all the Fathers Why Iohn auoyded so great an assemblie whom it most concerned and according to the duetie of his charge ought principally to be there Then the Roman Bishops that is to say the Bishops Suffragans Cardinals Priests Deacons and all the people answered We maruell greatly that your sacred wisedome will demaund this thing of vs which neither the Iberians Babylonians nor the Indians are ignorant of so openly hee manageth his diuellish affaires as no couerture or cunning he vseth therein The Emperour answered It seemeth fit vnto vs that some speciall accusations be declared and then the rest to be decreed by common counsell Then Peter a Cardinall and Priest stood vp and affirmed That he saw him celebrat the Masse and not communicat Iohn Bishop
and gaue vnto him tribute and obedience and the Popes forces consisted in his holie execrations which the Christian kings did then greatly feare What thing then is more plaine than this to giue vs to vnderstand That the authoritie of the Pope consists onely in matters spirituall After Iohn succeeded Benedict the sixt by the verie same law of Leo the eigth and authoritie of Otho But Otho being dead and his sonne much troubled in the warres of Germanie and France the Romans returned to their former naturall conditions and vpon the death of Benedict strangled as is said by Cardinall Boniface being incouraged by one Cincius a citizen of Rome they created Donus the second for successor presently Boniface the seuenth the murderer of Benedict corruptis comitijs as the Author saith whom Benedict the seuenth thrusts out of the seat through the fauour of the Tusculan Earles So much was this seat swayed by theft and corruption Wherefore Otho the second came into Italie and vsed extraordinarie seueritie to represse these inconueniences and yet there wants not those that would persuade vs that they were Martyrs Fascicul tempo but the author of Fasciculus temporum maketh a fit distinction of them They were slaine saith he as in the Primitiue Church but they were no Martyrs the punishment all one but the cause different Otho died and not long after Benedict and Peter Bishop of Paula succeeded who was saith Platina Iohn the fifteenth who being scarce warme in his seat Boniface the seuenth before expeld through the helpe of a great masse of money which by sacriledge he had gathered together cast him into prison there died he of famine or otherwise within eight moneths following into the possession of whose vacant chaire he was admitted by the Romans who neuerthelesse left it soone after through sudden death to Iohn the sixteenth the sonne of a Priest and this Iohn the sixteenth left it to Iohn the seuenteenth that the saying of Platina may here be found true That to the great good of the Christian Commonwealth these monsters while mutually they banded one against another they liued not long Boniface the seuenth is noted by him malarum artium to attaine to the Popedome by wicked meanes sacriledge corruption and tyrannie and also Iohn the sixteenth to be prodigall to his kindred and friends of all things both diuine and humane without any respect of the seruice of God or the honour of the dignitie of the See of Rome Which errour saith Platina he hath so left by tradition to his posteritie that it continueth euen to our time insomuch that the Clergie of this age desire not the Popedome for the seruice and worship of God but that they may satisfie the gluttonie and auarice of their brethren kindred and familiars And so of the rest At length one Crescentius a citizen of Rome Otho the third being farre distant dared to attempt the gouernment of the citie the people distasting a strange Empire Iohn who loued better a Lord farre off than neere at hand rather forraine than domesticall inuiteth Otho who was afterward the third to come into Italie and promised to crowne him Emperor But Iohn dying before Otho arriued at Rome Otho by his authoritie created at Rauenna Bruno Pope of the house of Saxonie his kinsman then in his companie and sent him to be created at Rome This was Gregorie the fift who likewise in the yeare 996 receiued him An. 996. and crowned him with Marie his wife in the citie of Rome But so soone as Otho was returned into Germanie Crescentius made chiefe Consul taking courage to himselfe expeld Gregorie as not chosen by the people but by the onely authoritie of the Emperour and created a certaine Greeke Bishop of Plaisance with the consent both of the Clergie and people no lesse rich saith Platina than learned whose name hath beene concealed because hee was vnlawfully created Whereupon Gregorie flyeth to Otho who from Germanie returneth with his armie into Italie entreth Rome and assayleth Crescentius in the castle taketh this Iohn the eighteenth putteth out his eyes and reestablisheth Gregorie This Gregorie saith Martin Platina in Gregor 5. and after him Platine who in fauour of him established a law to continue for euer That it should onely appertaine to the Germanes to chuse the Prince who is called Caesar and King of the Romanes but yet not held for Emperour till he were crowned and confirmed by the Bishop of Rome But Onuphrius sheweth by good arguments that they are deceiued attributing to Gregorie the fift that which belongeth to the tenth Baron an 996. art 71. And Baronius after a long disputation comes to this That the Electors of the Empire create him not but that the Emperours should be chosen by the Princes of Germanie without anie necessitie to goe to Rome to consult thereon And these matters reach to the yeare 998. As for the affaires of Rome and Italie An. 998. euerie man may judge what their miserie might be among these frequent mutations of Popes being neuer almost without murther sedition ciuile warres and forreine forces Baronius notwithstanding attesting and detesting all these disorders the cause whereof he could neither dissemble nor ouerslip the Historie could not endure that the Emperor in a solemne Synod of the Church wherof Luitprand describeth all the circumstances should bring matters to a better state but thought it more tollerable that the Church should sticke in the depth of all filthinesse and gluttonie than to be drawne forth by the hands of a lawfull Prince This Synod sayth he held at Rome vnder the authoritie of the Emperour Otho the first in the yere 963 to depose this execrable Iohn the thirteenth whom he tearmeth a monster was a false Synod Baron an 963. art 31 32. if euer were anie wherein the Ecclesiasticall law was neuer more wronged more Canons violated nor pernitious traditions and iustice prostrate trodden vnder foot and oppressed with greater shame But how forsooth Because saith he that they hauing once acknowledged him for Pope be it right be it wrong by freewill or by force as he hath said before that nothing was lawfully acted in his election they could assemble no Councell against the Pope without his consent And hereupon he groweth verie testie and cholericke a Priest fit to adore Antichrist in the Church and carrie his traine after him Now then after he had apparantly demeaned himselfe as a Tyran and a ruffian in the Church doest thou doubt whether he will be a suppresser of brothel-houses or a supporter of them or that he will recall those by whom he hath beene expelled or be brought into order by Parliaments And all that which besides he alledgeth is nothing but pedantrie And the same sayth he of the Councell of Lateran held after the death of this miserable Iohn the thirteenth that is they that were subrogated Popes in a solemne manner after such a monster were all vnlawfull
succession of the Bishops of Rome which they so much boast of may be defended We must not forget that Baronius reprehendeth our Historiographer Glaber in one poynt wherein neuerthelesse hee expresseth to the life the beleefe of our French Church The Earle Foulke of Anjou hauing built a Church went himselfe to Rome with a great summe of money which he deliuered to Iohn the seuenteenth to the end he would send a Legat to consecrate the place Whereunto he agreed and sent thither a Cardinall with direction to doe whatsoeuer Foulk should commaund But saith Glaber the Prelats of France hearing thereof Glaber Historiar lib. 2. c. 4. Baron to 10. an 996. art 21. 22. 23. 24. iudged it to be sacrilegious presumption proceeding from blind ambition c. being a thing too vndecent that he that ruled the See Apostolike should be the first that did transgresse the Apostolicall and Canonical order especially being aunciently confirmed by many authorities Multiplici authoritate that not any Bishop should presume to exercise any such power in anothers Diocesse except it were at the request or by the permission of him to whom it appertained yea not excepting the Bishop of Rome himselfe whose Diocesse they held not to be the whole world But thus he proceedeth An innumerable multitude of people being gathered together in a cleere and quiet day to see the dedication of this Temple a sudden tempest arose out of the South which in a moment beat downe the Temple to the ground Which strange accident being spread abroad through the whole countrey there was no man that doubted that the insolent boldnesse of this presumption had made vaine the vow of Foulk and was a manifest warning to all that were present and to come neuer to attempt the like For though the Bishop of Rome for the dignitie of the Apostolike See was had in greater reuerence than all other in the world yet it was neuer permitted that he should transgresse in any thing the order of the Canonical gouernment For as euerie Bishop and spouse of the true Church hath some vniformitie in his seat with the Image of our Sauiour so generally it becommeth no man to doe any thing ouer boldly in the Diocesse of another Now from the opinion of this Monke let vs know what the judgement of our Church should be 39. PROGRESSION Of Inchantments and the art of Nigromancie practised by the Popes to attaine the Popedome and vsed by them for other wicked and vnlawfull purposes How the diuill deceiued Syluester the second touching the time and place of his death Of Benedict the ninth his sacrifices to the diuell who in the end strangled him in the forest and of his strange apparitions after his death THe Age that followeth mends but a little and therefore a Carthusian noteth That in the yeare 1000 we enter into a monstrous time infamous for Magicke artes and all maner of wickednesse his words are these and not without cause There began about the yeare of our Lord 1000 an effeminat time Fascicul Tempor An. 1000. wherein the Christian Faith began much to decline from her first virilitie as appeareth in the prophesie of S. Hildegard c. men betaking themselues to sorceries and inchantments and the Priest was as the people After Iohn the seuenteenth succeeded Gregorie the fift by countrey a Saxon created by the Emperour Otho the third and chosen out of his companie at Rauenna who being sent to Rome to be consecrated the Emperour not long after receiued the Crowne from his hands But he had no sooner turned his face towards Germanie but that Crescens a Consull constrained him to leaue the citie and set vp against him another Pope in such sort that at the request of Gregorie Otho was enforced to returne to Rome where he vsed much seueritie in punishing the authors of that sedition But shortly after Gregorie being dead Otho the Clergie and people being assembled together chose for his successor that Gerbert of whom we haue spoken so much before who in his youth was his tutor and was called Siluester the second A man as appeareth by many of his owne writings still kept in diuers Libraries that had penetrated euen the depth of all profound learning especially the Mathematikes but yet blamed by many Authors for eleuated spirits neuer keepe a measure in any thing for that his studies extended to Nigromancie it selfe by helpe whereof he made his way to the Popedome A matter so little doubted of by those that were best acquainted with the secrets of those times that they constantly beleeued that whosoeuer affected the Popedome in those dayes made profession of this art and thereby attained thereunto Martinus in Chron. Galfridus in supplement Sigiberti Malmesburiensis l. 2. Hist Angl. Anton. Archiep. tit 16. part 2. sect 18. Vincent l. 24. c. 98. Henric. Erford in Chron. Plat. in Siluestr Iohannes Stella ibid. I should be ashamed to alledge it but that Martinus Polonus Vincent of Beauvois Malmesburiensis Anthonie the Archbishop Henrie of Herford Carthusianus Platina Stella and others goe before me and the most part of them doe absolutely affirme That Gerbert had learnt this art in a booke which he stole from Seuille in Spaine that he did homage to the diuill and had in his closet a brasen head by which the diuell gaue him answers With whom consulting about the time of his continuance in that See answer was giuen him That hee should not die vntill he had celebrated Masse in Hierusalem a voyage farre from his thought to haue euer vndertaken and therefore he promised to himselfe a long life But falling sicke of an ague at Rome in the church of the holie Crosse called Hierusalem whilest he was celebrating Masse in Lent by a strange noyse of diuels he perceiued his death was at hand and began to see the doubtfull meaning of the Oracle Whereupon being moued with the horror of his sinnes he discouered it to some of the Cardinals and desired them that for a satisfaction his carkasse after his death should be put into a chariot drawne with two horses and there buried where the horses of their owne accord should draw him Which desire of his being performed it fell out that the horses carried him to the church of S. Lateran where the Cardinals buried him And his sepulchre say they by the noyse and ratling of the bones and the sweating of the sepulchre did presage a long time after the death of the Popes This historie neuerthelesse by some in these dayes is called into doubt and especially by Baronius because there is no mention made of any such matter by Glaber and Dithmarus but quite contrarie he is commended by them for his almes-deeds and charitie towards the poore But the Monke of Malmesburie speakes thereof as of a matter beyond all controuersie and describeth all the circumstances yea he affirmeth That he had an auncient book by him wherin the names of all the Popes were registred
which he prayed for in the garden That the cup might be taken from him was not grāted because he praying according to the flesh he would not obtaine according to reason but Dominick neuer demaunded any thing of God which he fully obtained not according to his desire that is to say Ibidem paragra 2. because he neuer requested any thing according to the desire of the flesh The Lord hath loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his bloud but Dominick not without a certaine perfection of charitie spending the whole night with God in meditation and prayer did vndergoe a threefold discipline euen with his owne hand and that euerie day not with a whipcord but with a chaine of yron euen to the effusion of his bloud one for his owne faults which were verie small another for those which were in purgatorie and the other for those that liued in the world And Anthonie the Archbishop prosecuteth this comparison through all the parts of the life of Christ Finally our Lord departing from this world promised to his Disciples a Comforter that is to say the holie Ghost And Dominick sayd to his followers My deere friends weepe not for me Ibidem 4. paragr 14. nor let my bodilie departure trouble you in the place to which I goe I shal be more profitable vnto you than I can be here for after death you may haue me a better Aduocat than you can haue in this life What then shall we thinke of that which S. Iohn sayes vnto vs If we sinne we haue an aduocat euen Iesus the righteous And these blasphemies because they make to the strengthening of their authoritie are confirmed by the Church of Rome Jdem parte 3. Tit. 23. c. 43. 17. for Gregorie the ninth canonized Dominick in there 1223 made him a Saint appointed him a festiuall day and both approued and with priuiledges strengthened his Order And hee that writ these things was the Archbishop of Florence verie famous among our aduersaries and put into the Canon of the Saints This is said to the end the Reader may obserue what might bee then the corruption of the Church what the designes of the Popes when these and the like horrible blasphemies were supported by the Popes and also with what spirits their Consistories their Councels haue been carried in which in the meane time they giue vs new articles of faith Transubstantiation the Adoration of the Hoast in the Masse Auricular confession the Communion vnder one kind the like But they had need for the promulgation of such trumperies of such Preachers as might afterward serue their turne for the spreading abroad of their factions among the people and insinuat themselues by their preaching into the hearts of men by making euerie small matter a case of conscience they propose an art to extinguish all conscience Abbas Vrsperg in Chron. For the Abbot of Vrsperge saith by the commaund of the Pope they absolue rapes depopulations burnings seditions warres and therefore he said not without good cause That Pope Innocent had rather approue the Minors and Preachers than the humble poore of Lyons Who derogated from the Priesthood by those sermons they made for the most part in the secret places of Gods Church for they preached against the vices of the Clergie and yet they were not accused of any heresie because saith he they reprehended the vices of men still obeying the See Apostolike from which they deriue their chiefe authoritie But these things we shall better obserue in their due place OPPOSITION Now it behoueth vs to see what judgement the Authors of these times haue left vnto vs of the wicked actions of Innocent touching the warre he kindled betweene Philip and Otho The Abbot of Vrsperge who liued in those dayes speaks freely in this manner Innocent endeuoured by all meanes to hinder Philip to attaine to the Imperiall throne vpbraiding him with that which his brother and kindred had cruelly done which neuerthelesse they did by the instigation of wicked men wherein vnder correction of the Apostolike See he seemed not to haue iudged according to equitie when the Lord saith by his Prophet That the sinnes of the fathers ought not to be imputed to the children how much lesse of brothers or of other kindred Ezechias and Iozias most religious kings had verie wicked fathers In the genealogie euen of our Sauiour Iesus Christ some wicked ones are recited There is yet extant an Epistle of the said Innocent directed to Bartholdus Duke of Zaringia wherein are written many absurd things against Philip and some of them false which he caused to be inserted into the Decretals c. Then he began to stand vpon friuolous obiections and exceptions to the end hee might hinder him obiecting vnto him the sentence of excommunication that is to say of Celestine the third Moreouer he sent the Bishop of Sutrie to demaund of him the hostages of Apulia whose eyes long since his brother Henrie the Emperor had commaunded to be pluckt out But the said Philip as he was gentle and courteous when he heard of the sentence of excommunication he humbly intreated to be absolued by the said Legat and besides sent the aforesaid hostages to the Pope Wherefore the Bishop of Sutrie for as much as he had vnlawfully absolued Philip exceeding therein the bounds of his commaund was depriued of his Bishoprick and banished into a certaine island of the sea where he happily ended his dayes in a verie religious and strict Monasterie So that hee exclaimes against this wilie monopolie The horne of iniquitie is exalted wherewith many haue beene annointed against whom the Lord saith by his Prophet I haue said to the wicked Doe not wickedly and to transgressers Lift not vp your horne This horne is now filled with adulterous oyntment The horne of that oyntment is farre off wherewith Dauid was annoynted King What therefore should be done in the members but that which is done in the heads c O Lord behold such as the oyntment is in the head such it descends vpon the beard Oh that it were but vpon the beard onely with the reprobat it descended likewise vpon the beard of Aaron for they that had layed their foundation in the mountaine of strength vtpote Claustralis as cloystered Monkes seeming to lead a religious life that is to say they whose helpe Innocent vsed to alienat the hearts of the people from Philip are farre from the wombe of our mother the Church in which they were conceiued and baptised They haue wandered from the wombe wherein they ought to be comforted nourished with wholesome admonitions now they haue spoken nothing but lyes And here the Reader may judge what the Abbot thought of him that vsed the helpe of people so dishonest Through these discords in England Innocent proceeded so farre that king Iohn being brought into great extremitie was inforced to become tributarie vnto him That king saith the history hauing
forbeare all gouernment publike adminstrations and managing of affaires disanulling all things formerly by him acted and neuer hereafter to reassume the dignitie except by our expresse iniunction and commaund But if he delay any wayes in this case to obey Wee commaund all Patriarches Bishops Priests Princes and immunified cities to fall from him and forcibly to vrge him to submission Dated and published in Auignion the eighth of the Ides of October in the eighth yeare of our Pontificall dignitie and in that of Christ 1321. And that wee may aggrauat nothing out of our owne constructions let the Reader but onely obserue this forme of speaking which retaines with it a certaine similitude of that which hee sayes in one of his Extrauagants where without any ambiguitie God hath cōmitted to me saith he the prerogatiue of Emperor both celestiall and earthlie When this Bull came to Lodouikes hands prudent as he was he seriously consulted with all the famous Diuines and Ciuilians both of Italie Extrauag ne sede vacante C. si fratrum Germanie and France but especially with those of Bologna and Paris and all their opinions agreed in this conclusion That Iohns Decrees and promulgations against Caesar were altogether repugnant to Christian integritie and diuine Philosophie These resolutions of the Diuines saith Auentine are yet extant in Libraries written in parchment Many renowmed men also of whom some were Ciuilians and some Diuines writ stifly against Iohn whom they sharpely refuted out of the holie Scriptures and the auncient lawes and Canons And amongst others some Minorites of greater note forsooke Iohn to cleaue vnto Lewis summoning Iohn as it were to a day of hearing Lodouike in the meane while being constituted published a solemne Diet to be held at Ratisbone whither all the greatest Princes and Bishops of Germanie had recourse Amongst these there assisted Iohn king of Bohemia Mathew Henrie and Baldwine of Magunce and the two Archbishops of Collen and Treuers Where it was decreed That Lodouike the Emperour should be prouident to preuent the bringing of the German libertie into seruitude and that the Maiestie Imperiall might be freed from tyrannicall talons and therefore by the Acts of this Diet all the Decrees of Iohn the two and twentieth were declared void and inualidious and whosoeuer stood in defence of them hee was to be reputed an enemie to the Commonwealth and his goods to be confiscated By the force of these Acts Otho Bishop of Carinthia and Lambert of Tolouse the Popes Legats were expelled out of Germanie and all the Bishops Prelats Priests Monks yea and the Franciscans themselues obeyed this Decree only the Dominicans hung neutrall bending sometimes to Iohn and sometimes to Lewis as their owne interests moued them one while obseruing Iohns interdict another time for feare of being expelled celebrating and discharging sacred functions as also by the high authoritie of this Diet an Act was published which is to be read absolute and entire in Auentine whose principall heads to auoyd tedious prolixitie it may suffice here to insert Christ the Sauiour our Lord and God Auentine l. 7. and his chiefe Legats Peter Paule Iames and Iohn ascending into heauen told vs of verie dangerous times imminent and hanging ouer our heads but aboue all they instantly admonished vs That being subtile in some sort as serpents we should take heed of the leauen of the Pharisies and auoid false Christs false Apostles and false Prophets being so tearmed by reason of the lying and hollow hypocrisie of their religion who call themselues Christs Priests when they are the verie messengers of Antichrist They may be discerned by their vnquenchable thirst of honour power and worldlie treasure and their excesse auarice and pride is growne to a prouerbe We cannot denie but must cleerely confesse that our times can abide no strict examination or censure For now manners being wholly corrupted Christian sinceritie is troden vnder foot inured customes more preualent than truth ouercome but yet indignation cannot but breake silence and being placed in a most high watch tower of discouerie of humane proceedings we must not hold our peace least as the holie Prophet sayes we shew our selues like to dumbe dogs that cannot barke And though we be not able vtterly to expell such Wolues clad in sheepes skinnes yet it is our parts and dueties to resist and in some sort to discouer them For though we cannot doe as we would yet our mere good will when we can attaine no further is both honourable and commendable At last he applies this theame to Pope Iohn declaring how many sundrie waies he wasted and spoiled the Christian Church as he that prouoked Christians to draw their swords against their owne bowels and stirred vp nations to periurie treacherie rebellion and conspiracie And this Antichrist saith he will not suffer vs to keep that peace recommended to vs by God so great is the peruersenesse of that man or rather of Sathan as in publike sermons he sets forth his owne flagitions for singular benefits When Christian Princes are at discord then the Roman Priest raignes In briefe the Pope is then of greatest authoritie and power when all others being weakened and pluckt downe by discords seditions and mutuall hatreds his thunderings grow terrible euerie becke of his obeyed and wee obserue euen his verie spittings c. And questionlesse it was by this policie that both of vs were created to the dignitie whom a verie briefe letter from him might easily haue reconciled or at least haue persuaded vs to determine our right rather by iuridicall proceedings than by armes But contrariwise he no wayes laboured to procure peace betwixt vs but rather to nourish discord enclining one while to mee and then another while to my aduersarie of Austria Now he would be on Fredericks side and then on Lodouikes partie and which of them grew weaker him would hee alwayes fortifie with his aydes and supplies First of his owne accord hee inuited vs secretly to communicate giuing faire and equiuocall speeches to vs both and being almost come to agreement he would then againe persuade vs to reassume armes All this he did politically that while we thus ruine one another with domestical and intestine wars he might racke the Empire demolish castles and cities and inuade and spoyle both the people and the Common-wealth whose destruction he hath conspired reduce Christs flocke into seruitude and fight against the Saints and holie ones of God He boasts that he may presently without all delay denounce sentence against vs before we are condemned Being our capitall aduersarie and publique enemie yet in his owne cause he sayes he is both sutor witnesse and Iudge The which we neuer red of amongst the Turkes Iewes Saracens nor Sarmatians Those that hold their loyaltie to Caesar obseruing herein Christ our Sauiours commandement he for no other cause condemnes of heresie What is his will he thinkes to be lawfull wealth purchaseth authoritie for all things c. He
53. 54. There a certaine bishop of Arragon a great Doctour of Diuinitie in a solemne Sermon chose for his text that of the Apostle Purge the old leauen c. wherein he feared not to say That they were no more Popes than his old shooes worse than Annas and Carphas yea to be compared to the Diuels of hell Whereby let the Reader judge of those Archbishops Prelats that he ordayned and of those things that by them were done whom he ordayned The selfesame is to be read in the letters of the Embassadours of the Vniuersitie of Paris to their Lords and Masters That the neutrallitie and subtraction of obedience was good and lawfull and the processe and sentences of the competitors against those that had withdrawne themselues iustly pronounced to be of no force Approuing in all respects the sentence of the Vniuersitie As there is likewise extant the definitiue sentence against both the contendants for their horrible sinnes and a reuocation of all their acts in the yeare last past with the Epistle of Alexander the fifth to the Bishop of Paris Cap. 67. who expresly pronounced them the enemies of God and his Church for their grieuous and horrible notorious sinnes Iohn the foure and twentieth alias the three and twentieth the successour of Alexander in the yeare 1410 sent his Legats namely the Archbishop of Pisa to demaund the Tenthes due in the vacancie procurations and mortuaries An. 1410. Bochell l. 2. Decret Eccles Gallicanae p. 323.324 Jdem l. 4 p. 51.52.53 54.55.56 ex ijsdem The Vniuersitie assembled at the Bernerdins the three and twentieth of Nouember and calling vnto them such Prelats as were then at Paris concluded that those Lawes and ordinances aboue mentioned made in the yeare 1406 were to be defended that is to say That the Church of Fraunce was freed from all tenthes procurations and other subsidies and annuities whatsoeuer And if the Pope or his Legats shall constrain any man by ecclesiastical censure to pay them that it shold be lawfull to appeale from them to a generall Councell And if any of the collectors shall goe about to exact them they are to be punished with the losse of their goods if they haue any if not with imprisonment They humblie besought the king and the Councell thus to determine the matter and his Proctor generall to joyne with the sayd Vniuersitie But if the Pope should alledge some manifest necessitie of the Church that a Councell should be called wherein some charitable subsidie should be determined of which honest men chosen by the Councell should gather and being gathered by the authoritie thereof distribute it The Munday following there was called a royall Councell where the Archbishop deliuered vnto them That what he demaunded was due to the Apostolike chamber by law Diuine canon ciuile and naturall which whomsoeuer should denie to pay was no Christian Let the Reader here note the definition of a Christian The Rector interrupting him affirmed That these words were pronounced to the dishonour of the king and the Vniuersitie and consequently of the whole realme Wherefore the thirtieth of Nouember he called a generall congregation wherein it was agreed to send Orators to the king to request that the Legat might be commaunded to reuoke his words and if he should refuse to doe it that then the professours graduats of Diuinitie and Law should write against him vpon the Articles of the faith That both he and his Colleagues might according to their desart be punished That they would likewise write to all other Vniuersities and Prelats to ioyne with them in this controuersie and to the Archbishop of Rheimes likewise and others of the kings grand Councell to that purpose who haue bin sworne to the sayd Vniuersitie otherwise to be depriued that dignitie Whereupon the Popes Legats departed without taking their leaue Neuerthelesse the Pope is nothing at all herewith discomfited but sendeth his Legats againe to the king to require the Tenths imposed vpon Fraunce who pronounced in the kings Councell the duke of Aquitan being present That not only the Church of Fraunce but all others whatsoeuer were bound to this subsidie not onely by the positiue law but also by the law of God The Vniuersitie withstood it and in a congregation concluded That the manner in demaunding this subsidie was to be reproued as vniust and contrarie to the law before made in the yeare 1406 which they were resolued to defend And if the Pope or his Legats should proceed any farther that they would then appeale to the generall Councell of the Church and if the gouernours of the new king and kingdome should attempt any thing against the sayd law they would appeale to the king and the Lords of his Councell And if any of the Vniuersitie it selfe should goe about to gather these tenthes he was to lose his rights and priuiledges if other his temporalties if he had any if not to suffer imprisonment But if the Pope by way of charitie would gather this money then the Vniuersitie would beseech his Maiestie that the Prelats of the kingdome might be called to deliberat First What was to be handled in the next generall Councell Secondly What answer was to be made to the supplication of the Popes Legats Monstrelet vol. 1. c. 67. So that if a subsidy should be granted that it might be gathered by some chosen honest men of the kingdome for the vnion of the Greekes and Latines the peace of the kingdome of England the recouerie of Palestina and for the preaching of the Gospell to all creatures since these were the ends for which the Pope as his owne Legats did affirme did leuie this subsidie In all which they humbly beseech the Lords of the Parliament and the kings Proctors to yeeld them their helping hand and to joyne with them Whereupon the Archbishop of Pisa carried himselfe more humbly towards the Vniuersitie and began to flatter the principall amongst them that hee might win them to deale more mildly with him but it was to small purpose for the Vniuersitie continued still constant though the greater part of the Nobles yea the Princes themselues began to faint in their resolutions An. 1416. Here is fit place to speake of the Councell of Constance wherein in the yeare 1416 a bill was exhibited in the name of the Church of France and the Vniuersitie of Paris called Apostoli because Charles the sixt by a Decree of the Court of Parliament and an Edict following thereupon had forbid annuities to be paid It was otherwise called De Annatis non soluendis Which bill was so much the more necessarie because the Cardinals going about to put downe the Antipopes endeuoured neuerthelesse to retaine their gaineful arts and inuentions especially these annuities which their promoters with their reasons likewise defended There it was disputed by our Diuines That those annuities were not due either by the law of God or man That they were extraordinarily granted to
or durst confute their sayings although as he himselfe witnesseth they were well affected towards the person of Eugenius On the contrarie All saith he with one voyce preferred the Councell before Eugenius and it was held for a crime of heresie once to mutter any thing against the dignitie of the Councell Now in the time of Nicholas and Calixtus after the neutralitie of Germanie was taken away by the meanes of Aeneas Syluius for which good seruice hee had beene first made Bishop and after Cardinall the Germans were offended that the conditions agreed vpon with the Emperour were not obserued Wherefore by the authoritie and conduct of Diether Archbishop of Mentz they had instituted a certaine Pragmaticall sanction whereby they would prouide for themselues against the grieuances of the Roman Church and partly decreed of the election of Prelats collation of benefices hearing of causes granting of Indulgences exaction of tenthes and the like partly they defended themselues also by way of Appeale against the Pope if he ordained any thing against them and moreouer fortified this with a strict league of the Princes Hence it is that Syluius is so vehemently moued in his Epistle of the maners of Germanie which he wrot in answer to Martin Mayer Chauncellour of the Archbishop of Mentz for note hee was newly made Cardinall of Sienna This Mayer was a man famous in that age euen by the testimonie of Syluius himselfe and had complained in his Lords behalfe That the Decrees of Constance and of Basil were not obserued That Calixtus as if he were not tied to the couenants of his predecessor exhausted and soaked Germanie euer and anon reiected the election of Prelats and reserued the benefices and dignities of whatsoeuer kind for his Cardinals and Protonotaries For said he expectatiue graces are granted without number Annates or first fruits are exacted without any delay of time openly also extorting more than is due The gouernement of Churches are not committed to them that deserue best but to such as offer most and new Indulgences are daily granted for to rake in money Exactions of tenthes vnder colour of the Turkes are commaunded to be made without taking aduise of our Prelats Causes which had beene handled and determined in the countrey are confusedly drawne to the Apostolicall Seat and a thousand new meanes are inuented whereby with a subtill wit to draw money from vs as from Barbarians And you vnder this forme hitherto vnusuall and vnheard of haue obtained reseruation to three Prouinces of Germanie And in conclusion That the Princes being awaked out of their sleepe were resolued to shake off that yoke and to take againe their former libertie not without great dammage to the Court of Rome Wherefore though hee congratulated with him his new dignitie yet he tooke it ill that these euils happened in his time and seriously exhorted him to procure a remedie betimes But it may be saith he the mind of God is otherwise and his sentence will preuaile Giuing vs in these few words more to thinke of than he expresseth What then doth here the new Cardinall You may see he hath straight changed his stile so that to a friend writing friendly at the verie beginning in an angrie manner he saith Thou hast mixed amara rancida vnsauorie and bitter things in thy letters So much was his tast then alreadie altered for afterwards there was nothing so vniust which he defended not nothing so absurd which he vttered not neither feared hee to establish the Popes tyrannie by those verie places which before he had proued to be wrested into a wrong sence To conclude nothing was with him more execrable than the Pragmaticall sanction which before he had pronounced to be sacred and Canonicall He vpbraided the Germans That they were too rich and ingratefull to the Church of Rome which of Heathens had made them Christians of Barbarians Latines Whereas indeed the Germans had Christian Churches which S. Ireneus commendeth for their notable constancie before the name of Pope of Rome was once knowne when they which ruled the Church were onely called Priests Neither had hee any mind to seeke so farre seeing hee could not conceale That before the Councell of Nice sibi quisque vinebat euerie Bishop liued to himselfe that is to say gouerned his Church without taking law from Rome to the great dammage of the Church saith he who on the contrarie ought to haue added That by the Decree of that Councell the Bishop of Rome had no right of superintendencie ouer any other Churches but only in suburbicarias ouer the neighbour Churches about Rome About this verie time flourished Gregorie de Heimburg Aeneas Syluius commentat l. 3. Wimphel in Prostesi ad illustres viros Germ. Trithemij Antililogia excusa Basiliae an 1551 vbi appellatio vtraque Krantzius l. 10. Wandal c. 24. Epist 400. ad Norimbergens Trithem Chronic vol. 2. sub annum 1460. Doctour of the ciuile and Canon law a man of great estimation euen at Venice Siluius calleth him the chiefest of the Germans When Pius entred into the Popedome he excommunicated Sigismund Duke of Austria for that hee could not endure the sawcinesse of his Legat but he by the aduise of Gregorie de Heimburg appealed to the Councell and published his Appeale at Rome wherof Pius vnderstanding that Heimburg was the Authour he likewise communicated him And because hee dwelt at Norimberg being Syndicke or Aduocat of the citie he writeth an Epistle to the Burg-master and Senat in which he calleth this forme of appealing from the Pope to a Councell A new heresie and inspiration of the Diuell seeing that men appeale friuolously and by way of mockerie to a Councell or to that which is no where and which they purpose to auoyd and hinder by all meanes possible Hee therefore signified vnto them that hee had excommunicated Heimburg as guiltie of high treason and heresie and commaundeth them that they should expell him the citie confiscat his goods moueable and vnmoueable and inflict vpon him all the punishments appointed for heretikes But from this excommunication also Heimburg againe appealed to a Councell yet is constrained to depart into Bohemia where he married a wife and made his abode vntill Diether Archbishop of Mentz of the familie of Heimburg being vexed by the Pope called him vnto him whereby we may gather that Diether did not greatly dislike his doctrine In the appeale of Sigismund that he framed after hee had layed open the equitie of his cause against the vnjust proceedings of the Pope he appealed not from the Pope ill informed to the Pope better informed because he knew his eares to bee stopped but eyther to his successour or to a generall Councell to be celebrated according to the Decrees of Constance and Basill and in default thereof to Iesus Christ Sauiour of the world In his owne also when Pius the second had excommunicated him he protested the verie same but moreouer examining his Bull and his
might alwayes appeare For when he saw that he must needs deliuer Gemes Guicciard l. 2. yet hee was verie carefull to satisfie his brother Baiazets request who saith Guicciardine had long time made good vse of the auarice of the Vicars of Christ that hee might possesse his Empire in peace and therefore he was no sooner come to Naples but he dyed not without manifest tokens of a slow poyson giuen him to drinke to shorten his life The king had demaunded for the better assurance of this treatie and the performance thereof the castle S. Angelo the Cardinals openly protesting That Alexander would not otherwise haue any respect to his faith and promise Whereupon the great artillerie was thrice brought forth of the Palace of S. Marke where the king lodged to haue beene planted against the castle but by the like art as before this purpose was altered and so returning into the Vatican Alexander receyued the king who with bended knee kissing his feet was presently admitted to kisse his cheeke And another day celebrating the Masse he hold the bason of water to wash his hands which ceremonies the Pope caused to bee paynted in a gallerie of the castle of S. Angelo As being euer the manner of the Popes to take that to be a duetie which is done of curtesie Charles therefore hauing continued at Rome three weekes he tooke his journey towards Naples and hauing in a short time broughr the kingdome to his obedience he tooke order for his returne into Fraunce But in the meane time Alexander prepared new difficulties joyning himselfe in league with Maximilian the Emperour the kings of Spaine the Venetians and Lodwick Sfortia who being terrified with the successe of this magnanimious Prince deuise how they might oppresse him in Italie to which purpose against his returne into Fraunce they raysed an armie in the playne of Fornoue of fortie thousand men which he encountred with eight thousand men or thereabout which hee chose out of the garrisons of Naples and with an incredible valour made his way through the middest of them But being returned into France and preparing for a second expedition An. 1497. Philip. Comineus in vita Caroli 8. c. 26. 51. in the yeare 1497 and in the moneth of Aprill being taken with an apoplexie he suddenly dyed Comineus reporteth That Hierome Sauanarola who was then taken for a Prophet at Florēce being asked whether the king could passe without the perill of his lyfe answered That some difficulties he should haue in his iourney but yet they should all turne to his glorie yea though he had but a hundred souldiers with him for that God by whose conduct he came into Italie would likewise return him safely into his countrie But forasmuch as he had not procured the reformation of the Church according to his duetie c. there hung a scourge ouer his head and God had pronounced a sentence against him which he would execute elsewhere Moreouer hee addeth That hee foretold many things publikely in his Sermons that the king should returne That he might reforme the Church with his sword and expell the tyrans out of Italie and that therefore this charge was imposed vpon him by God which if he did not he would sharpely be reuenged on him Which he had likewise many times by letters signified to the king and that not long before his death The scourge that Sauanarola spake of Philip. Comineus in vita Carol. 8. Philip de Comines enterpreteth to be the death of the Dolphin which strucke him to the verie heart and the sentence pronounced by God to be the suddaine death of Charles which he describeth to be verie miserable and to that end he repeats this Historie Guicciard l. 3. Alexander therefore being freed from so great a feare bends all his endeauors to the aduauncement of his children But saith the Historie not without domesticall misfortunes and tragicall examples of whoredome and crueltie horrible to the Barbarians themselues From the first entrance into his Popedome he resolued to conferre all the temporall power he could vpon the Duke of Candia his eldest sonne Caesar Borgia his younger sonne Cardinall of Valentia wholly alienated from his profession of Priesthood tooke it impatiently that this place of dignitie should be taken from him by his brother and no lesse was he moued against him for that he had a greater part than himselfe in the loue of Madame Lucretia sister to them both One euening therefore hauing supped together with their mother Zanoccia walking alone through the citie he caused him to be murdered and secretly to be cast into Tyber The report went That in the loue of Lucretia not onely the two brethren did concurre but the father also who being once Pope tooke her from her first husband be being now too base and she to great too be his wife and married her to Iohn Sforza Lord of Pezaro Afterwards not enduring her husband to be his corriuall this second marriage being consumat by the sentence of certaine Iudges chosen by himselfe and witnesses suborned to that purpose as if Iohn had been vnfit for marriage he likewise dissolued or rather brake It is Guicciardine himselfe that speakes it and therefore we haue the lesse need of the verses of Pontanus Hoc iacet in tumulo Lucretia nomine sed re Thais Alexandri filia sponsa nurus Lucrece by name in deed Thais lyes vnder this stone Alexanders daughter his sons wife and his owne Againe Humana iura nec minus coelestia Ipsosque sustulit Deos Scilicet liceret heu scelus patri Natae sinum permingere Gods lawes and mans he God himselfe denies O wickednesse that with his daughter lyes Now so long as Alexander was in doubt of the authour of the death of his sonne he was strangely moued therewith and made a shew of changing the course of his life but so soone as he was assured of the truth thereof he returned to his old vomit and thought it necessarie to dissemble the matter Onuphrius speakes more significantly Winking at that outragious sinne of paricide hee determined with himselfe at what price or perill soeuer to aduance Borgia the paricide It would be perhaps too long and to small purpose here to relate the deeds of this monster Comming one morning into the Consistorie he put off his Cardinals hat and openly professed that he would be a man of warre Hee made a voyage into France where with the leaue and good liking of Lewis the twelft who at that time needed the Popes helpe for the conquest of Milan he maried Charlotta of Albret and was made Duke of Valentia by which meanes Lewis found Alexander more willing to yeeld to that diuorce which he pretended Being returned at the last into Italie presuming vpon the authoritie of his father he attempted the ruine of all the Vicars or Lieutenants of the cities of Romania for the effecting whereof there was no kind of crueltie treacherie treason which hee put not
alone to the Lambe 2. Thess 2. v. 8. to the spirit of his mouth to the brightnesse of his comming Which things are of so much the more greater weight in as much as our aduersaries the ministers of Antichrist hauing gotten the vpper hand of all haue with all diligence and industrie left nothing vndone whereby they might with continuall care and craft extinguish and deface our proofes by abolishing withholding or corrupting the instruments and writings of good men from time to time in all ages By which meanes we are forced to seeke right out of the instrument of their owne pleading out of their owne writings for to decide and defend our cause to produce witnesses out of their bosom and testimonies from their owne mouth to make seeing Gods will is so euen Balaams Asse to speake the verie beast that carrieth them to vtter their Histories Councels and Decrees to the rebuke and reproofe of themselues and their doings But it remaineth for recapitulation to set before our eyes in what state wee found both the See of Rome and Roman Bishop at first and vnto what state from that by degrees at length we haue brought him and now see him brought As touching therefore their spirituall function the Bishops of Rome in those first ages as we haue seene were indifferently called Bishops and Priests behauing themselues as brethren towards others yea by their neerest neighbours were named Brethren and Collegues they were consulted withall and did themselues also consult with others about the affaires of the Church controuersies schismes and heresies liuing simply in their profession and dying vertuously in the confession of the name of Christ they glittered not in any other purple or scarlet than with their owne bloud the Crosse was their onely glorie But not long after we might perceiue in some that spirit which from Saint Paules time wrought which vnder pretence of the dignitie of the citie drew vnto it selfe the cause of the neighbors would haue their counsels accounted for Decrees and turned the honour voluntarily offered them into right of homage seemelinesse into seruitude That sting notwithstanding of ambition was oftentimes beaten backe by the persecutions and many times also blunted by the vertuous Oppositions of the ancient Fathers But when after that by Constantine peace was restored to the Churches through the fauour of Princes they encreased in honors and riches behold this spirit continually watching ouer the worke and not loosing any moment of time gathereth heart and strength to it selfe by degrees And because that by reason of the dignitie of the citie the first Seat was willingly granted vnto it they contend That their Church ought to haue dominion ouer other Churches That like as Rome I meane the Commonwealth thereof ruled ouer other cities and Prouinces so the Bishop of Rome like as a Monarch ouer other Bishops That therefore from all parts of the world they should appeale vnto him from him expect commaundements which all men were held absolutely to obey Whereas he on the contrarie ought to depend of none might be judged of none neither yet of all together And hereof came those falsifications that wee haue seene of Councels and Decrees those suppositions of Acts and Histories those prophanations of the holie Scriptures and shamelesse wresting of them to a contrarie sence Hence are also those contestations and protestations of some of the greatest men in all ages against that domination which they arrogat to themselues ouer other Churches and Bishops which they on the other side besides and against all right diuine and humane either by none or by a false title complained to be vsurped not sticking to pronounce That it proceeded from none other and pertained to none other than the forerunner of Antichrist or Antichrist himselfe Yet thinke not for all this that they any thing slacked in their purpose By Phocas the murderer of the Emperour Mauritius his Lord was the Bishop of Rome declared Vniuersall Bishop he laboured to be so declared so farre was he off from blushing at it Now from thenceforth carried with full sayles hee maketh no difficultie of any thing As Emperours and Kings in a confused troubled world had need of his helpe or endeuour he got authoritie in their dominions Hee winneth the Archbishops to his side by alluring the most ambitious with commissions and offices and hauing woon them hee bindeth them vnto him by a Pall and that at first was sent them freely and onely as a token of good-will towards them afterward by ordinance made necessarie and a badge of subiection at length by degrees it grew to be sold taxed exacted the price thereof euerie day encreasing of which the Archbishops from time to time complayned After that hee obtained of the Princes That the Clergie the Lords lot sayth hee and inheritance should bee exempt and free from all temporall jurisdiction whereupon followed licence of all vices impunitie of all crimes and so by little and little withdrew from their lawfull and naturall Lords them whom hee had marked with his character by voluntarie seruitude yea and liege homage bound them vnto himselfe By their ministerie and meanes and not without mysterie hee sitteth and presideth in the Councels of Kings exerciseth his kingdome in their realmes and his tyrannie in the consciences of kings and their people whilest he bindeth them to his pleasures by his censures and excommunications and as he will loseth them from all duetie and obedience He setteth Princes one against the other or else bandeth their nobles and people against them and maketh many to sheath their swords in their owne bowels By which and by such like meanes hee obtained at length a Soueraigne Empire in spirituall things throughout the West And because the East yeelded not vnto him hee excommunicated those Churches and chuseth to himselfe from among his owne Patriarches of the Easterne Churches imaginarie indeed but yet future Images of his vniuersall Monarchie which hee arrogateth to himselfe who were resident with him representing the person or vizor rather of the Orientall Church Yea when hee celebrated the Masse Cerem Roman l. 3. Charta 6. 7. hee commaunded the Epistle and Gospell to bee read in Latine and in Greeke signifying both Churches but in Latine first and with seuen candles lighted in Greeke afterward with two onely lighted for to shew the supereminencie of the Latine Church Yet who knoweth not that the Greeke Testament is the originall and the Latine but a translation taken out of the Greeke At last hee pardoneth all sinnes out of his fulnesse of power thereby affecting the Maiestie of God who alone pardoneth and of Christ the Lambe of God who alone taketh away sinnes Yet truely hee giueth not those pardons but selleth and maketh merchandise of them and vnder that pretext wasteth and despoyleth the whole world Then hee instituted Iubilies at certaine set times which by degrees hee shortened being truely his generall Marts and Faires in which he
prostituteth setteth to sale and vttereth his Indulgences At his will and pleasure moreouer hee openeth heauen curseth the earth quencheth Purgatorie shutteth hell as if he were God he maketh Saints bindeth diuels commaundeth Angels maketh himselfe President in generall Councells Head of the Catholike Church yea Spouse thereof which Titles are due vnto none but to Iesus Christ alone incommunicable to any creature God on earth made out of earth commaunding in heauen he ordaineth a god to be worshipped on earth which he will haue to be beleeued and doth beleeue to be God whom he causeth to be carried about on horsebacke before him for to get to himselfe the greater reuerence euen for the most part among his vilest carriage among scullions and lackeys And all these things vnder the name of Christ and vnder pretence of his Vicarship Because sayth he after Christs glorious resurrection all power was giuen him from the Father in heauen and in earth In so much that in the Masse which the Seat being vacant is celebrated for obtaining a new Pope Cerem Roman l. 1. Sect. 15. de officio Missae Astol sede vacāte this Tractus of the Prophet is sung The Head thereof shall proceed out of it to wit of Israel and a Prince shall come from the middest of it which was spoken of our Lord Iesus Christ There is also that of Saint Iohn in the Gospell applied to the future election I will not leaue you orphans I will aske the Father and he shal giue you another Comforter which was spoken of the holie Ghost so that now there is nothing so blasphemous that they are ashamed or dare not vse Further so soone as hee is elected and hath put on red hose and shooes he is carried and set vpon an Altar the seat of their God and there worshipped consequently with religious worship due to God What need more Cerem Rom. l. 1. sect 1. c. 6. Erasm in 1. ad Tim. c. 1. In the verie Scholes Leo the tenth being Pope they feared not to dispute Note Reader how farre they extended his Vicarship Whether the Pope might abrogate that which is decreed in the writings of the Apostles Whether he might ordaine any thing contrarie to the doctrine of the Gospell Whether he might add to the Creed a new article of Faith Whether he haue greater power than S. Peter or but equall Whether hee may commaund the Angells or can take purgatorie quite away Whether he bee but meere man or as it were God Whether with Christ he partake of two natures Diuine and humane How many enormities are committed in these words yea in the least of them How manifoldly they offend the Diuine Majestie When therefore wee call to mind all these things how can wee otherwise applie or expound that propheticall place of S. Paule 2. Thess 2. v. 4. He exalteth himselfe against all that is called God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or that is worshipped For let them shew vs in all these sixteene ages any other so that he sitteth as God in the Temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God In the Church it selfe so that wee must not seeke him among the Turkes in Assyria yea if we beleeue him hee himselfe is the whole Church which he contracteth into his own person the Head and the bodie the Bridegroom and the Spouse both together And to whom againe besides may we applie the Reuelation of S. Iohn Of the beast ascending out of the earth Apocal. c. 13. v. 11. 17. v. 3. which had two hornes like the Lambe but spake like the Dragon of the woman sitting vpon a Scarlet coloured beast full of names of blasphemie For where is there more speech of Christ and lesse beleeuing him where more giuing him kisses together with buffetings where so monstrous so outragious blasphemies vnder that most holie name Is not this properly to put on Iesus a purple garment to put a reed in his hand and to say vnto him in mockerie as if he saw nothing in humane affaires especially in the gouernement of the Church Which of vs was it that smote thee And thus much for his spirituall domination Now of the temporall Wee found the Bishops of Rome vnder persecution had learned by the Testament of our Sauiour not to affect worldlie power but to be readie contrariwise to suffer cruelties from earthlie Princes By the Epistles of S. Paule and S. Peter and also by their examples to honor the kings and powers of the world to obey the froward and those that were hard to be pleased not to rule as Lords ne quidem in Domini cleros from whence came the name of Clergie And surely till the time of Constantine and some time after they had not any temporall jurisdiction yea and after that by the gifts of Christian Princes they were enriched for many ages they spake and liued submissiuely after the manner of vassals and seruants and as other subjects suffered both generall and prouinciall Councels to be called and assembled without contradiction by Christian Emperours and Princes and submitted themselues vnto them and their ordinances and at their commaundements came and went without complaining without so much as muttering of these their documents or pretensions But if it were a thing so important to the honour of Christ and the safetie of the Church as they would make men beleeue that this Vicar of Christ should be acknowledged through all the world girded and armed with two swords where was now their zeale that they suffered with such negligence their rights of so great moment to perish to be withheld to the manifest damage of S. Peter to be prescribed and to be vsurped from him the monarchie of the whole world without any gain-saying interpellation or any declaration of those rights But the Roman Empire now falling to ruine by reason both of the inward diseases of the same and the sundrie irruptions of the Northerne people the Bishops of Rome began to build on those ruines and to abuse the absence and weakenesse of the Emperours whom they expelled out of Italie by the armes of the Lombards and confined them to Greece and vnder colour that they would not admit Images into their Temples cut them off from the Church absolued their subjects from their oaths of fidelitie and withdrawing them from obedience to their Princes bound them at last to themselues In Italie the Lombards waxing too strong they supplanted them by the Frenchmen and after that the Frenchmen by the Germans opposing euer them that were farthest off against them that were nearer and so soon as any had gotten credit and authoritie with the people they cast him out by intruding another which could not but necessarily depend on their fauour And when the Germans went about to settle and establish their Empire in Italie they stirred vp factions against them in Germanie and caused the sonnes by breaking the bond of duetie both diuine and humane naturall and ciuile to rise
he describeth a woman sitting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apocal 17. v. 1.2.3.4.5 c. vpon a skarlet coloured beast commaunding an Empire adorned meerely with scarlet shee herselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 arayed in purple and scarlet and guilded with gold and pretious stones and pearles and in her forehead in titulo in title these words a name written a Mysterie that great Babylon not really that auntient Babylon but in a Mysterie that mother of whoredomes and abhominations of the earth carnall aboue all measure spirituall beyond all shame What shall I neede to name him seeing he manifesteth himselfe and speaketh heere sufficiently And doth it not seeme that Satan hath taken pleasure to performe this worke that he might shew vnto the world a Master-peice of his art and as it were reproach vnto as our blindnesse when he brought forth as it were on a Theatre this Man that of so long a time before so plainely so clearly the spirit of Almightie God by the mouth of his Prophets and Apostles hath fore-warned vs of the comming of Antichrist of his conditions doings behauiour seat apparell and furniture Who would euer haue beleeued that he now comming directly in the same habit in the same posture and manner should so farre preuaile with vs that any man should receiue him that any should worship him and for so many ages and Satan himselfe in him And moreouer all these circumstances are described in the Ceremoniall booke of the Popes printed at Venice in Nouember 1516 and dedicated to Leo the tenth Now at that very time Martin Luther after many others being impatient of the blasphemies ouerflowing all Europe in Germanie thundered out against the Pope that Augustine Monke Doctor of Diuinitie of meane parentage of no authoritie in the end of the world accompanied with some few men of the same condition carried with the same zeale and moued with the same spirit at whose voyce the voyce certainely of almightie God thundering by them innumerable people throughout all Europe were stirred vp who either being made drunken slept the sleepe of death or being yet halfe asleepe had need of these instruments to awake and animate them These men durst amidst so great splendor of his Babylonish pompe and pride and so great painted brauerie call the Beast by his proper name in the midst of swords waters and fires of the rigor of magistrats furie of the people and rage of officers Whereupon all nations young and old women and children by their meanes openly professed and maintained the same they astonished beat downe and confounded with their humilitie his pride with their patience his crueltie and with the puritie of their doctrine by the great grace of God they restored the Gospell to light and in the constancie of their martyrdomes they brought as it were to life againe the faith of the Primitiue Church In so much that in a short time whole nations departed from the Roman Seat many Kings and Princes euen of them who had most contributed to that monstrous building now triumph loden with his spoyls There appeared from all parts godlie and learned men who kindled with the zeale of God with their labours stoutly endeuoured to cast downe to the ground that tottering pile and brought it neere to an vtter ruine 2. Thess 2. v. 8. Is not this according to that of S. Paule And then shall the wicked man be reuealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth Of Saint Iohn also Apocal. 17. v. 16 Those Kings shall hate the Whore and shall make her desolat and naked and shall eat her flesh and burne her with fire Yet this Whore endeuoureth to take courage Apocal. 18.7 and set an impudent face on the matter She saith in her heart I sit being a Queene and am no widow and shall see no mourning I cannot erre whatsoeuer they say my filthinesse is elegancie and the blaines budding forth from my vnchastitie pearles and precious stones She multiplieth so much the more her blasphemies against Christ the Sonne of God she rageth against his sacred word she adiudgeth it of insufficiencie of imperfection of ambiguitie dangerous deceitful and worse if may be making it wonderfull inferiour to the Roman Church the same Church in the meane time of which the Pope maketh himselfe superior alone greater than is represented in generall Councels How much superiour and higher will he haue it aboue the holie Scripture the word of God and consequently God himselfe And thereby he appeareth the more euidently to bee the same whom we seeke the Antichrist poynted out by the Apostles Therefore after we would haue applied Balme for her sore if she might perhaps be healed which shee obstinatly refused wee haue laboured to procure a holie reformation in the Church against which the Papacie is so much the more enuenomed with rage bringing in worse Popes of purpose in hatred thereof and vttering more absurd assertions as the infallibitie of traditions and the vprofitablenesse of the word written with the finger of God and inspired into his Prophets and Apostles May we not lawfully now say with the Prophet Ierem. 51. v. 9.10.11 We would haue cured Babel but she would not be healed forsake her and let vs goe euerie one to his owne countrey Let vs now wash our hands of her and expect what God hath determined of her especially seeing her iudgement is come vp vnto heauen on the contrary the Lord hath set forth our righteousnesse And what then doe we wait for from the same counsell the same prophesie and therefore from the same certaintie but that those Kings and the same States who haue worshipped her finish the worke of God Apoc. 17. v. 17 who will put into their hearts to fulfill his will and his pleasure to execute his sentence And let not the present state of things astonish vs in one day in one houre Apoc. 18. v. 8. in a moment are his workes performed and this worke without doubt must be performed And long agoe as of a thing alreadie done neere at hand and most certaine the Angell cried out and redoubled it It is fallen it is fallen Babylon Apocal. 18.2.4 But God forbid also that wee should neglect that other crie that followeth Goe out of her my people we to whom God hath giuen to know her yee which know her but too well take heed it bee not to your damnation Can any man now pretend an excuse That ye be not partakers of her sinnes and that ye receiue not of her plagues least being defiled by the contagion of her Idolatrie and enchauntments yee be made partakers of the sentence long agoe pronounced against her of eternall fire which remaineth for her But because we are for the most part incredulous and stupide let vs pray vnto God of his meere mercie to draw vs as a Lot out of this spirituall Sodome as S. Iohn calleth it to pull vs to himselfe by the hand of his Angels to grant vnto vs that wee looke not backe againe and that we may before he powre downe his judgements on Babylon get to his holie mountaine to that little Segar his Church how small and contemptible soeuer it be in the eyes of the world Is it not a little one saith Lot and my soule shall liue Now to him Father Sonne and holie Ghost for the bottomelesse depths of his judgements and of his graces be prayse and glorie world without end Amen ⧠Errata Fol. Lin. Fol. Lin. 214 25 more pernitious traditions 474 42 succeed to 263 37 Tarracina 473 18 in his owne presence 272 1 imploreth his helpe 475 3 he that would but know 278 4 night of my 481 3 spittle of their 309 24 giue thee his 506 16 as it was thought 311 3 acknowledged 545 38 concourse of people 378 2 at Douer 559 45 decreed in these words 378 47 a longer day 586 8 Corpus Christi 388 42 after riches 593 14 excommunicated 401 18 to wauer 594 36 might more easily be discerned 401 39 Abbot of S. Albons 609 45 his successor 417 vlt. not so much 612 43 he being 441 vlt. and by their digressing 615 21 as visited 446 40 of the eternall judgement 629 vlt. or if he had had more care FINIS
priuiledge of the Imperiall dignitie Krantzius l. 4. c. 10. Saxoniae And also Krantzius with this clause verie perfectly relateth vnto vs That this Councell ought to be inuiolably obserued vnder the paine of excommunication of the Vniuersall Church Insomuch that it was necessary to put again in force the law of Charls the Great to bridle the monstrous lasciuiousnesse of the Clergie Which law neuerthelesse as they obeied it vnwillingly so vpon euerie light occasion they were ready to abrogat it so impatient were they of all good discipline For so soone as the Emperour had dismist his forces they recall Iohn who assembled another Synod deposeth Leo cancelleth his Acts condemneth the Synod holden by him forbiddeth it to be called a Synod but Prostibulum fauens adultris A stewes in fauour of adulterers Sigebert and as many as Leo had Ordered hee degraded whom An. 963. to the end they might signifie to the world That they had receiued nothing from Leo hee commaunded them alwayes to haue this word in their mouthes My father had nothing Luitprand l. 6. c. 11. and gaue me nothing At the last vpon a certaine night as Pope Iohn lay with another mans wife without the citie of Rome he was so stroken of the diuell that within eight dayes following he died of the same wound And here the Author crieth out O eternall God Fascicul tempo how different are these from those of former time O the bottomelesse depth of the iudgements of God who can find them out Some say he was slaine by the husband of the said wife And then the Romans contrarie to their oath chose one Benet without the consent of Otho or his sonne Wherewith the Emperour being much offended besieged the citie and tooke it in despight of the Romans dispossest Benet not onely of his Popedome but degraded him of his Priestlie Orders after he had acknowledged his offence reestablished Leo the eigth By which occasion it so came to passe that Leo to render some gratuitie to the Emperour made a resignation for euer both to him and to his successors Emperours and Kings of Italie of all the donations granted to the Church of Rome whether by any manifest deed or any Imperiall Patent or in any other manner whatsoeuer by Charles the Great Pepin his father Aribert king of Lombards or Iustinian taking as it were to witnesse the books of the holy Euangelists many reliques the holy crosse the hose vnseamed coat of our Lord the bodie of holie Saint Peter with many profound oathes taken before him and his Cardinals and by the consent and authoritie of all the people of Rome as well the Clergie as the Laitie of all degrees and of euerie Prouince being present and confirming the same In this resignation are specified seuerally all the Prouinces Isles Cities Townes Castles which are recited in the donation of the Emperor Lewis without any exception and also many others which were not there named And all this saith he take and possesse for the vse of your Court and militarie affaires to make warre and to fight against the Painims and against the rebels of the Roman Empire Adding besides That if any will attempt to hinder the effect thereof let him know That by the law Iulia he incurreth the punishment of high treason and purchaseth to himselfe the displeasure of Saint Peter c. At the last after a solemne Fiat Fiat all Archbishops Bishops Cardinals Priests and Deacons and all the principall officers of the Court of Rome besides the Consuls Exconsuls Senators and others that might adde any strength to the authoritie of this Bull subscribed name by name All this besides what is found in diuers auncient libraries with that other before spoken of is wholly related by Theodore of Nyem the Popes Secretarie whatsoeuer Baronius cauilleth to the contrarie For whereas in this Charter there were nominated foure Bishops of Italie which in the Synod the yeare before were called by other names that is to say of Alba Preneste Tiburtina and Nerni is it any wonder if among so many Bishops that were at this Synod foure should die within the space of a yeare and in the middle of so many confusions change their place Fasciculus temporum in sexta aetate 964. Fasciculus temporum seemeth to haue seene both the one and the other who briefely like himselfe saith thus This Leo ordained That no Pope should be made without the consent of the Emperour in malice towards the Romans who by force thrust in their owne friends and kindred Also he resigned to Otho and his successors all the donations of the Church made by Iustinian Charles and others to the end he might defend Italie from all inuaders thereof This he addeth of his own opinion That holinesse was departed from the Popes and come to the Emperours in those times And these things reach to the yeare 964. Neither is it to be omitted That this Iohn the thirteenth aliàs the twelfth who hath held vs too long and whom Platina calleth Sceleratissimum hominem vel potius monstrum A most wicked man or rather a monster was according to the saying of Onuphre the first who changed his name and gaue example thereby to others to follow him whom I wish in many things and euen in the worst they had not too much imitated An. 966. Now according to this order Leo the eigth being dead in the yeare 966 the Romans sent Ason chiefe Secretarie and Martin Bishop of Sutrie to Otho into Germanie to consult vpon the election of a successor who presently dispatched away Ogier Bishop of Spire and Linson of Cremona to Rome in whose presence the people and Clergie nominated Iohn Bishop of Narnie the sonne of one Iohn a Bishop the which according to Platina was the foureteenth of this name according to Onuphrius the thirteenth But not without tumult of the Romans who impatiently bearing a strange yoke cast him into prison and enforced Otho to returne into Italie to reforme their disorder Supplimentum Reginon anno 967. Sigon l. 7. De regno Italiae Otho 3. in Diplomate Donationis quod Asisij Seruatur But he in fauour of this Iohn by him created and to get the greater good will in Italie gaue vnto him saith Reginon the citie and territorie of Rauenna and many other things taken away from the Bishops of Rome by Berengarius Sigonius addeth That he confirmed by a new Charter the old donation of Pepin Charls Lewis but without author For of this verie time we wil vse no other witnesse but himselfe for writing to the yeare 973 thus he saith Though Italie were possest by a King and he an Emperor and by the Pope yet there was not in both of them the same authoritie the Pope had Rome and Rauenna and the other territories rather by authoritie than Empire because the cities acknowledged the Pope as Prince of the Commonwealth the King as the chiefe Lord